Thanks fore everything! Golfers honoured for saving life of Kevin Threlfall

Stephen Woodward and Martin Knowles - both first aid trained former policeman and from Perton and Birmingham respectively - immediately started CPR on Wolverhampton-born Mr Threlfall after he suffered a heart attack.

Their quick-thinking actions saved his life and the pair are to pick up awards from the Royal Humane Society.

The drama unfolded at South Staffs Golf Club in Tettenhall in April last year.

Mr Knowles saw Mr Threlfall collapse and immediately began CPR.

He called 999 and was joined by Mr Woodward with the two carrying out CPR for 15 minutes. They also attached a defibrillator and delivered two shocks.

Paramedics arrived and worked to revive Mr Threlfall for another 45 minutes without success.

They finally got a pulse as he was being driven in an ambulance to New Cross Hospital.

The next morning Mr Threlfall was sitting up in bed and talking. He made a remarkable recovery and was a picture of health just a week later, returning to the club to thank his life-savers.

Mr Woodward and Mr Knowles will get resuscitation certificates from the society at a ceremony later this year.

They were praised by the Royal Humane Society secretary Dick Wilkinson, who announced they would be recipients.

He said: "But for their efforts this was a golf competition which would have been marred by tragedy.

"The swift action of these two undoubtedly made the difference between life and death for the golfer who had suffered a heart attack.

"They both richly deserve the awards they are to receive."

The pair were nominated by a member of Mr Threlfall's family.

Mr Threlfall founded One Stop in the 1970s, which went on to have 1,215 stores across the UK.

He sold his business to Tesco in 2002 for £530million and went on to take a place on the Wolves board.

One Stop also traded as Supercigs, Dillons and Day& Nite, becoming the largest specialised convenience store group in Britain.

Mr Threlfall, who released his autobiography One Stop, One Life last year, said shortly after his near-death experience: "I will be eternally grateful to everyone involved in saving my life.

"Without their experience and quick thinking I would definitely not be here today."

Advanced paramedic Andy Watson was the first member of West Midland Ambulance Service to reach the scene. He said at the time: "Technically he was dead but the fact that he had been given CPR so quickly had stopped the brain dying and given us a fighting chance. Otherwise it could have been very different result."

The roots of the Royal Humane Society stretch back more than two centuries. Its president is Princess Alexandra and it is the premier national body for honouring bravery in the saving of human life.