Westlife’s Brian McFadden and Boyzone’s Keith Duffy have joined the European Players Super League, as the golf circuit prepares for a high-profile celebrity-versus-pro showdown at Little Aston Golf Club this June, writes John E. Kaye
Members of Westlife and Boyzone have joined the European Players Super League (EPSL) in what marks the latest move in a celebrity-led golfing circuit that brings together amateurs, professionals and former chart-toppers on the same fairway.
Boy band stars Brian McFadden and Keith Duffy, best known for their roles in Westlife and Boyzone respectively, are set to lead the amateur side in an upcoming annual match against professionals from the European Tour.
The event, part of EPSL’s ongoing Super League Cup series, will take place on 20 June at Little Aston Golf Club in Sutton Coldfield, England.
The fixture will see 20 amateurs take on 20 professionals in 18-hole matchplay, with McFadden and Duffy now among the EPSL’s highest-profile recruits. The series has already attracted Ryder Cup captains, European Tour winners, and a growing list of entertainers and business figures.
McFadden made his debut in the EPSL last week at Royal Birkdale, one of several Open Championship venues now featured on the league calendar.
He told The European: “I love playing European Players Super League – it’s very relaxed, competitive, and they have fantastic golf courses.
“I had an amazing time at Royal Birkdale, Formby, West Lancashire and Southport & Ainsdale.
Competing against professional golfers like Mark James pushes me to raise my game, and I’m looking forward to leading out the amateur team in our upcoming match.”
EPSL founder and CEO Feisal Nahaboo, added: “We’re thrilled to welcome Brian and Keith to the EPSL.
“Their passion for golf and competitive spirit will undoubtedly bring a new level of excitement to our golf super league. We’re expecting a fierce competition, and I’m confident that our amateur team will give the professionals a run for their money.”
The amateur side, captained by Nahaboo, has already claimed victory in the first two tournaments of the Super League Matchplay Cup, despite trailing significantly during each match. The wins have added momentum to the amateur camp, with Nahaboo now set to lead McFadden and Duffy into their first head-to-head against tour veterans.
Nahaboo, who previously founded the Xeinadin accountancy group, which is reportedly preparing for a sale exceeding £800m (approximately $1.1bn) to private equity investors https://www.internationalaccountingbulletin.com/news/xeinadin-private-equity-sale/, has described the EPSL as a natural extension of his approach to business: building platforms that bring disparate groups together under one structure. “We’re not just creating a golf league,” he said. “We’re building a format where amateurs, pros and celebrities compete as equals. That mix is what makes EPSL work.”
The format relies on a handicap-based system that allows players of varying ability to compete on a level footing. It has drawn interest from both elite golfers and well-known public figures, including former footballers, TV personalities and musicians.
The upcoming event at Little Aston will feature a mix of players from across the EPSL’s growing roster. Regular amateur competitors, which include EPSL tournament champions, include Alastair Murray, Neil Mossman, Alastair Doe, Geoff Thomas, Chris Thomas, Jarrell Stratton, Rob Shaw, Jim Rogers, Arthur Fisher, Tanveer Abbas, Gordon Lyall and Rob Clark. Prominent European business figures such as stainless steel specialist Denis Dimitrov and telecoms entrepreneur Lubo Minchev are also members who can access all EPSL tournaments.
The inclusion of McFadden and Duffy is part of a broader uptick in celebrity participation, according to organisers. “We’re seeing a stampede of interest from A-list names who want to be involved,” Nahaboo said. “That’s not something we engineered—it’s come about because the format is working.”
EPSL events are now staged at several of the UK’s most prestigious courses and filmed for digital audiences, with YouTube subscriber numbers climbing and further expansion into the UAE and Europe already under discussion.
The league’s founder remains bullish about the future: “We’re creating something that’s not been done before—combining high-quality venues, serious competition, and a format that welcomes everyone. It’s starting to get attention, and that’s exactly what we hoped for.”
Main image: Boyzone star Keith Duffy takes a bunker shot during a European Players Super League (EPSL) event. He and fellow pop icon Brian McFadden are set to lead the amateur team in a celebrity-versus-pro showdown at Little Aston Golf Club on 20 June. Credit: Brian McFadden
