FIVE-TIMES Olympic gold medal-winning rower Sir Steve Redgrave has been leading sporting stars in a charity effort in Carnoustie this week.

The Golden Five Tour is run on behalf of Sir Steve’s own fund-raising trust, which he set up five years ago with the aim of raising £5 million for children’s charities.

It has the support of some of the biggest names in sport.

Those taking part at Carnoustie this week included Murdo McLeod, Allan Wells, Garry McAllister and Bruce Grobbelaar as well as a host of names from rugby league and rugby union, cricket and snooker.

The effort has been a huge success and has reached its original target.

Sir Steve said, “The bulk of the fund-raising for the trust has been done through golf, which I and many of the friends I have made through sport enjoy as a way of relaxing.

“It has been very successful and I am delighted to have brought the Golden Five Tour to Carnoustie— the first time it has been played over an Open Championship course.

“We recently passed the £5 million target and a lot of people were asking me if the golf events would end but, after speaking to a few of the others who have been involved and who wanted it to carry on, it is now likely that it will continue in some form.

“I have played here on quite a few occasions before, having taken part in the Dunhill Links Championship for the past five years, I know the weather here is not always as pleasant as it has been this time around.”

As well as the Golden Five Tour event itself, the players staged an international matchplay team event in which England, captained by Sir Steve, beat Scotland by a single point and Ireland drew with Wales, the Irish team taking the victory as defending champions.

The tour is supported by commercial sponsors including EDF Energy, Taylor Made and Carnoustie preserve and confectionery producer Mackay’s.

Mackay’s supplies the Golden Five Tour with items for “goody bags,” including chocolate golf balls, and yesterday Sir Steve took time out from the golf course for a tour of the Thistle Street plant.