Golf is open to all
The G4D Open
World's most talented golfers with disabilities to play in The G4D Open
01 Feb 23
3 mins
Many of the world’s most talented golfers with disabilities will compete in The G4D Open, which has been launched by The R&A today.
The event will be staged in partnership with the DP World Tour and its inaugural playing contested by up to 80 players over the Duchess course at Woburn from 10-12 May 2023. EDGA, formerly the European Disabled Golf Association, has been involved in the development of the championship and will continue to support in an advisory role.World class
Martin Slumbers, CEO of The R&A, said, “We have established The G4D Open to provide a world-class stage for the very best golfers with disabilities to compete against each other and realise their ambitions at an elite level of the sport. “The World Health Organization states that 1 in 6 people has a disability and so we want to show that golf is open to everyone regardless of ability. We can do this by celebrating the exceptional skills of golfers who as role models will inspire more men, women and young people to take up the sport through their achievements on the course. “We are grateful for the guidance offered by EDGA in creating this championship and look forward to working with the DP World Tour to stage the inaugural event at Woburn, as well as seeing who emerges from the field to write their name in the history books as the first ever champion of The G4D Open.” Eligible amateur and professional golfers, including men and women, playing in The G4D Open will contest a 54 hole stroke play gross competition with an overall winner determined at the end of three rounds. There will also be a gross prize in several categories.
Historic Championship
Brendan Lawlor, the number two ranked golfer in WRG4D who turned professional in 2019 and made history by becoming the first disabled golfer to compete on the DP World Tour in 2020, said, “It’s unbelievable. It’s great news for golf and hopefully more history will be created that week. “It’s not just about competing in the event and winning, it’s also about etching your name in the history books. We’ve done that a few times as golfers, including when I became the first player with a disability to play on the European Challenge Tour in 2019 and the DP World Tour in 2020, which were big milestones. To win this new championship would be just as big in my eyes.” Keith Pelley, Chief Executive of the European Tour Group, said, “The G4D Tour, launched last year, has provided a high-profile platform for the best golfers with a disability to showcase their skills on the same course, the same week, as professionals on the DP World Tour. When you watch these golfers play you immediately talk about their ability rather than their disability, and it is only fitting that the 2023 G4D Tour schedule is now further elevated 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 Duchess course at Woburn will play host for up to 80 players for the inaugural G4D Open from 10-12 May 2023.