New G4D Open To ‘Provide World-Class Stage For The Best Golfers With Disabilities
The world’s most talented disabled golfers will play the inaugural G4D Open at Woburn in May – in a new tournament launched by The R&A. (opens in a new tab)
Up to 80 players on the Duchess Course in Woburn from May 10-12, with eligible amateur and professional golfers, men and women, playing a raw 54-hole competition in stroke play with an overall winner determined at the end of three rounds.
There will also be gross prize money in multiple categories at the event, according to R&A CEO Martin Slumbers, “will provide a world-class stage for the best golfers with disabilities to compete and achieve their ambitions at an elite level of the sport. .”
The EDGA (opens in a new tab), formerly European Disabled Golf Association, has been involved in the development of the championship and will continue to provide support in an advisory role ahead of the event, which will be held in partnership with the DP World Tour .
“The World Health Organization states that one in six people has a disability so we want to show that golf is open to everyone, regardless of ability,” Slumbers added.
“We can do this by celebrating the exceptional skills of golfers who, as role models, will inspire more men, women and young people to embrace the sport through their achievements on the course.”
World number two in the World Ranking of Disabled Golfers (opens in a new tab) (WRG4D) Brendan Lawlor was the first golfer with a disability to compete in a DP World Tour event in 2020, and says the new event is “great news pour golf” after hearing the announcement.
“It’s not just about getting into the event and winning, it’s also about etching your name in the history books,” Lawlor added.
“We’ve done it a few times as golfers, including when I became the first player with a disability to take part in the European Challenge Tour in 2019 and the DP World Tour in 2020, which were big milestones. Winning this new championship would be just as important to me.
Keith Pelley, Managing Director of the European Tour Group, said: “The G4D Tour, launched last year, has provided a high-level platform for top disabled golfers to showcase their skills on the same course, same week, as professionals of the DP World Tour.
“When you watch these golfers play, you immediately talk about their ability rather than their handicap, and it is only fitting that the G4D Tour 2023 schedule is now even higher with a new championship. Our partners at the R&A and EDGA share our ambition to make golf a truly inclusive sport and this new tournament is an important step in that journey.
The creation of the G4D Open follows the inclusion of the Amended Rules of Golf for Players with Disabilities in the Rules of Golf since earlier this year and the continued administration of the WR4GD by the R&A and USGA.
During the week of the event, there will also be a symposium bringing together National Federations from around the world to discuss important topics relating to the growth and development of golf for the disabled.
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