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The world's most talented golfers with disabilities will compete at the G4D Open, a new event launched by The R&A, organized in collaboration with the DP World Tour and EDGA (European Disabled Golf Association). The inaugural event, which has a maximum of 80 participants, will be played on the Duchess Course in Woburn (UK) from 10 to 12 May 2023.
Martin Slumbers, CEO of The R&A, said: “We established The G4D Open to provide a world-class stage for top golfers with disabilities to fulfill their ambitions as elite players. The World Health Organization states that 1 in 6 people have a disability and therefore we want to show that golf is open to everyone.
We can do this by celebrating the exceptional skills of these golfers who are sure to inspire other men, women and young people to take up the sport. We are grateful for the leadership provided by EDGA in creating this championship and look forward to working with the DP World Tour to stage the inaugural event in Woburn”.
G4D Open, schedule
This competition for both amateur and professional golfers, both men and women, will be played over 54 holes, gross strokeplay. Brendan Lawlor of Ireland, number 2 in the world rankings for golfers with disabilities WR4GD, who turned pro in 2019 and the first golfer with a disability to compete on the DP World Tour in 2020, said: “It is incredible.
It's great news for golf and hopefully it will go down in history. It's not just about competing and winning, it's also about etching your name in the annals of golf. Playing the European Challenge Tour in 2019 and the DP World Tour in 2020 were huge achievements.
Winning this new championship would be just as important in my eyes." Keith Pelley, managing director of the European Tour Group, said: “The G4D Tour, launched last year, has provided a high-profile platform for top golfers with disabilities to showcase their skills on the same course, the same week, of DP World Tour pros.
When you watch these golfers play, the focus is on their ability rather than their disability, and it is fitting that the 2023 G4D Tour schedule is now further enhanced with a new championship. Our partners 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 establishment of the G4D Open follows the inclusion of Rule 25 for golfers with disabilities in the Rules of Golf earlier this year and the R&A and USGA's current administration of the WR4GD world rankings for golfers with disabilities .
A symposium will also be held during the week of the event bringing together national federations from around the world to discuss important issues relating to the growth and development of golf for the disabled