EDGA golfers George Groves and Brendan Lawlor will join forces in a European Tour first at the innovative GolfSixes Cascais, which returns to Oitavos Dunes from May 9-10.
Continuing the European Tour’s commitment to inclusivity and innovation with its ground-breaking approach to Golfers with Disability, Groves and Lawlor will be paired together in the competitive match play format to form the inaugural ‘EDGA Team’, as one of four exciting wildcard selections on offer.
It also marks the first time golfers from the World Rankings for Golfers with Disability (WR4GD) will compete alongside European Tour professionals in a regular season event. The 2020 GolfSixes Cascais will follow the same format as the 2019 edition, with four wildcard teams – featuring stars of male and female golf – joining 12 other two-man teams of European Tour players representing their home nations.
DUBAI, February 16: With an aim to embrace inclusivity in golf, the MENA Tour by Arena has reached an agreement with the European Disabled Golf Association (EDGA) that will help provide opportunities for four golfers with a disability to compete in the only officially recognized professional Tour in the Middle East and North Africa region.
Four EDGA-registered players, with a confirmed WR4GD (World Ranking for Golfers with Disability), a golf handicap of 4.4 or less, with an official World Ranking position, will be able to apply for one or more invitations in three chosen tournaments.
The four invitations will be offered at the following events:
Mar 29 Ras Al Khaimah Open at Tower Links GC
Apr 05 Northern Emirates Open at Al Hamra GC
Apr 12 Al Ain Classic at Al Ain Equest, Shooting & Golf Club
EDGA, the international body that champions golf for people with disability, has unveiled a new international Open tournament for its players, the Southport Golf Coast Classic.
The Southport Golf Coast Classic, playing for the President’s Cup, will take place from September 2-3 on the challenging Par 72 Championship Course, Formby Hall Golf Resort & Spa, supported by the venue and the Southport & District Golf Association.
Apart from offering a competitive two-round international tournament for players with disability at one of the region’s most acclaimed golf courses, the event offers the opportunity to develop golf for the disabled in the area, including a golf development project at a major local hospital.
One of EDGA’s achievements is to provide approval for three different categories of international golfing events that meet the minimum criteria for golfers with disability.
The Golfers First Profiles came from a deep belief that everyone has a story, that is not only worth telling, but also worth sharing. Perhaps you or someone that you know is in need of a boost of inspiration or a signpost to what can be achieved.
tough love and second chances
18 personal accounts of golfers with a disability. Despite significant obstacles, every story demonstrates how the power of the human spirit can move people to achieve their goals.
EDGA’s members are now located worldwide with 25% of the membership from outside of Europe. Recent members include Golf Australia, New Zealand Golf, The Indian Golf Union, The Costa Rica Golf Association, The Argentina Golf Association, Golf South Africa, The Israeli Golf Association and The Lebanese Golf Federation.
The World Ranking for Golfers with Disability (WR4GD) is admistered by the USGA and R&A under the name of WAGR. According to the players golf handicap, they will be ranked under Gross, Net or Stableford.
Only players with a WR4GD pass can be ranked with WR4GD.
EDGA relies on a rapidly growing team of international disability assessors comprising of volunteer doctors and physical therapists who are required to attend Tournaments all around the world.
EDGA would also not function without the commitment of the core teams which includes the Board of Directors.
To participate in an EDGA badged event, a WR4GD or a non-ranked ACCESS pass will be required. These passes are administered and issued by the EDGA medical team.
Learn more about EDGA badged events and how you can apply for your pass.
EDGA has launched a new international campaign to inspire people with disability to try golf and enjoy the multiple benefits of the sport.
Developed in partnership with Portuguese creative agency LUV, the new ‘PLAY GOLF’ campaign showcases eight EDGA players from three Continents with a range of disabilities who live life to the full through playing golf. The campaign is supported by a dedicated training programme which will engage with hospitals, rehabilitation centres, golf clubs and other sporting venues throughout 2020.
For all the drama of the closing stages of the Emirates Australian Open there was equal intrigue in the finish to the second Australian All Abilities Championship Presented by ISPS Handa at The Australian Golf Club in Sydney.
In fact, the finish to the two tournaments was intertwined in a way that would have been unimaginable even three years ago as the AAAC was forced into sudden death for the first time.
Defending champion Johan Kammerstad of Sweden and Canada’s Kurtis Barkley – the last player into the field – finished the 72 holes tied at 23-over 236.
With extra holes needed to decide the outcome, the pair returned to the 18th tee and waited for the final group of the Emirates Australian Open to tee off before hitting off immediately behind them.
IN a ground-breaking EDGA Dubai Finale, played over two days alongside the DP World Tour World Championship, England’s George Groves lifted the inaugural trophy after carding rounds of 77 and 82 over the same Earth course set-up as the DP World Tour Championship.
The World No.1, who has Erb’s Palsy, which leaves him with 20 per cent strength in his left arm after a medical accident during birth, started the event strongly with an opening round 77 on Friday to take a three-stroke lead heading into the final round on Saturday.
EDGA continues to make the game more inclusive for those with disabilities as it grows its education programme, most recently with a two-day pilot project for the PGA of Poland.
EDGA’s development team travelled to the renowned Lisia Polana Golf Club, Warsaw, in October. Its workshop was attended by 18 PGA coaches, volunteers and therapists who received expert training and resources so that they can now encourage new people with a disability into the sport, and support effectively existing golfers with disability.
Globally respected club manufacturer PING has given its support for a second year to a major EDGA project which raises awareness of inclusive golf and golfers with disability.
‘EDGA Profiles supported by PING’ is a series of recorded and written interviews that aims to raise awareness of remarkable golfers – who refuse to be defined by their disabilities and instead are reaching their potential with the help of golf.
The second (2019) series tee'd off recently with an audio and written interview from Mauricio Gutierez-Pena (pictured above)
EDGA is now the official charity of the recent Portugal Masters, which took place at Dom Pedro Victoria Golf Course on October 24-27.
EDGA aims to change the lives of people with disability through the power of golf. Made up of volunteers along with national golf federations from 29 countries around the world, its objective is to help more than 500,000 people living with a disability to try golf.
All charitable funds raised by EDGA from tournament draw sheet sales at the Portugal Masters along with a longest drive competition sponsored by Golfbreaks and a raffle will help fund the delivery of training, education and programmes in the Portugal.
The European Tour, supported by The R&A and EDGA, has made a film that will “open the eyes” of everyone to the high standard of a generation of golfers with a disability now competing against each other internationally. EDGA believes this short video and a longer 30-minute film – made at the EGA European Championship – should be seen by anyone interested in sport and health as it emphatically demonstrates that golf can offer great benefits to people with disability.
RSM and EDGA
RSM’s sponsorship of EDGA extends the firm's ambitious partnership strategy within golf and supports its wider corporate and social responsibility programme. As part of the tie-up, RSM will support EDGA to get 500,000 new players with a disability to try golf for the first time. It will also play a role in supporting EDGA's longer term goal of getting disability golf accepted as an official sport at the Paralympic Games.
Introducing Team RSM
Team RSM is made up of four professional golfers, being Colin Montgomerie, Andy Sullivan, Paul Waring and Michele Thomson. These each compete at the highest level in golf and RSM is proud to have them as ambassadors. You can learn more about these players on the RSM YouTube Playlist
RSM and golf
RSM believe that the qualities required to be successful in golf reflect their core values of respect, integrity, teamwork, excellence and stewardship – something RSM strives to deliver in every client engagement. The partnership RSM has with its global ambassadors (Team RSM), and collaboration with the European Tour and EDGA supports their commitment to the development of golf at all levels across the UK.
RSM has been an official supporter of the European Tour since 2016. In 2017 they launched the RSM Player Performance Study, which aimed to understand the key drivers in golf performance and in 2018 released a six-part content series called ‘Inside the Tour’ which gave a behind-the-scenes view from key personalities and roles on the European Tour. In 2019, RSM will proudly continue this partnership as a sponsor of the BMW PGA Championship which takes place in September at Wentworth Golf Course.
RSM is a leading audit, tax and consulting firm to the middle market with nearly 3,800 partners and staff operating from 35 locations throughout the UK. Globally, RSM’s international network spans 116 countries, 750 offices and more than 41,000 people
RSM Website
www.rsmuk.com
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