Shortly after 8am on May 15th, watery sunlight greets Susan Simpson (The R&A Assistant Director, Amateur Championships) and her hard working team at Woburn. Wearing white gloves to protect the gleaming winners’ silverware, weeks of preparation for The G4D Open are completed as the two trophies are put in place beside the men’s and women’s first tees on the Duchess Course.
On the stroke of 8.30am, in ‘match one’, Daphne van Houten of the Netherlands is announced on the official starter’s microphone to a hushed gallery, which watches as the 25-year-old prepares to strike the first blow of the tournament.
Van Houten, already something of a veteran of G4D (golf for the disabled) tournaments, thoroughly deserved this honour. And being Daphne, she essayed a fine drive down the middle of the first fairway to the applause of all present.
Eighty players from 19 countries assembled for the week (May 13-17), for the challenge of tackling the beautiful but highly testing Duchess Course over 54 holes in Gross stroke play. This inclusive tournament, created by event partners The R&A and the DP World Tour, supported by EDGA, was off and running in its second year.
Every attempt had been made to ensure that the venue was first-rate for the competitors, perhaps the best example being the work carried out to make every bunker on the course accessible to all the golfers, including those who play from a powered chair.
Looking around this famous venue it was hard to miss the signature dark blue of The R&A’s ‘G4D Open’ signage, the colour and typeface synonymous with The Open and other historic events, all designed to inform and inspire competitors and spectators alike. And as happens at such international events elsewhere, many of the club golfers in the area wanted to support this tournament, with more than 120 members of Woburn and nearby venues volunteering to help the players in scoring, caddying, ball spotting and other key tasks.
“I love it, it feels like our Open,” summed up one G4D player on the first day; the players responding by meeting the challenge in front of them and playing some wonderful golf all week.
Daphne said on her own nod to history with her opening shot: “That was amazing to do. Many people were watching and the nerves, and that always feels nice to hit a good one, amazing on the first hole.
“I wasn’t here last year, so it is my first time at The G4D Open and it’s massive. With 80 players and then so many people watching on the first tee and then they’re all clapping for you; it keeps you going when there are so many people supporting you.”
As each player left Woburn’s clubhouse and made their way towards the course they would be much aware of a series of striking 12-foot high presentation boards bearing photographs celebrating last year’s overall male and female victors but also the winners of the nine sport classes of athletes taking part (three ‘Standing’ classes, two ‘Sitting’, two ‘Visual’ and two ‘Intellectual’).
On these boards, along with established names such as Kipp Popert and Brendan Lawlor, there was one for Italy’s Stefano Palmieri (winner of ‘Visual 1’ – a player who is totally blind) and England’s Terry Kirby (champion in sport class ‘Sitting 1’). Yorkshireman Terry, returning to Woburn and seeing his board on arrival, immediately asked to take it home to put by his front door in Hull.
The players visited from all parts, including Canada, USA, Europe, Japan and Australia. They had qualified through the World Ranking for Golfers with Disability (WR4GD) but nevertheless the tournament seemed to retain the feeling of solidarity and competitive community found in the 140-plus EDGA-run, badged or supported events worldwide where these Ranking points are accrued.
The G4D Open is, however, different. Importantly, the media interest helps EDGA make more people aware, individuals with a disability, family and friends, that there is a community of golfers in which they can join: whether as a ‘sampler’ perhaps taking first chips and putts following an injury or illness (in a hospital setting, rehab clinic, sports hall or golf venue), as a more regular ‘participant’, or as a regular ‘competitor’ as seen at Woburn.
With this fine club owned by the Duke of Bedford becoming almost a world-centre for G4D for the week, organisers made maximum use of the time: welcoming to a series of workshops international delegates, including from national federations, from as far afield as Egypt, Japan, Norway, Uganda, Ukraine and South Africa, to help chart the future by seeking to build capacity in G4D and enhance golf’s offer: themes including the improvement of venues, communications, competitions, coaching and workforces, while supporting The R&A in its work to make the game more inclusive.
Tony Bennett, President of EDGA, said: “A major benefit of this tournament is to bring the eyes of the world to G4D and highlight golf’s power to help people to reach their potential. With approximately 16 per cent of the world’s population having a disability, focused attention around this year’s G4D Open made this a significant week for those seeking to make changes, and for those who could and should benefit from positive change.”
Tony added: “This tournament showcases fantastic players from nine sport classes. All the players qualified on merit through the World Ranking. However, many fine players didn’t qualify this time, as happens with a ranking system, but we now want them to be inspired to work on their game further, to be the best they can be, so they can show everyone their golf skills next time and contest for the sport class trophies.”
World Number 1 from England Kipp Popert, who has cerebral palsy, and Ireland’s Brendan Lawlor (World Number 2), who has Ellis–van Creveld syndrome, played some fantastic golf between them all week, with Popert’s closing two-over-par 74 for a total of 217 edging out Lawlor by a single shot. Their and others’ very high standards will have stirred the imagination of the spectators and those who have watched through media channels.
Kipp said on finishing: “I was pretty pleased to get the win and it was nice. Brendan and I have a good battle and we get on well. So it was really good.”
All of the 80 qualifying players have a designated sport class, and not only competed in the overall championship but also in their respective classes. As Kipp Popert holed out from two feet to finish the tournament, alongside the overall leading male and female winner (a certain Daphne van Houten), a gross prize was also awarded in each sport class.
The men’s gross prize winners were as follows:
- Intellectual 1: Cameron Pollard, Australia
- Intellectual 2: Thomas Blizzard, England
- Standing 1: Juan Postigo Arce, Spain
- Standing 2: Kipp Popert, England
- Standing 3: Brendan Lawlor, Ireland
- Sitting 1: Terry Kirby, England
- Sitting 2: Richard Kluwen, The Netherlands
- Visual 1: Paul O’Rahilly, Ireland
- Visual 2: John Eakin, England
The women’s gross prize winners were as follows:
- Intellectual 2: Erika Malmberg, Sweden
- Standing 1: Alessandra Donati, Italy
- Standing 2: Aimi Bullock, England
- Standing 3: Daphne van Houten, The Netherlands
Women’s champion Daphne van Houten, who was born with scoliosis, talked of the positive environment surrounding the players she knows well from EDGA tournaments. “It’s been good to catch up with everybody. I came here a bit earlier and I think I spoke to all 80 of them, so that’s nice.
“I’d also like to thank my caddie. I didn’t know her before. She just walked onto the first tee on the first day and she did perfectly. Just chatting around, keeping me comfortable. Of course, I want to thank my parents. They brought me to many tournaments when I was younger. They went through my operation together with me and they always have my back. My whole family. EDGA of course; I want to thank EDGA because they make it work.”
England’s Tony Lloyd, because of the challenges of his condition (he was born with bilateral upper limb phocomelia, which he refers to as having elbow-length arms with no hands), wasn’t expecting to win the overall tournament but he put together three brilliant gross rounds of 86, 81 (which included four birdies) and 84 to come 4th in his sport class, Standing 1.
Tony said: “I’m thrilled with how I played this week with three rounds in the eighties after last year’s three rounds in the nineties, where the course beat me up. I got the redemption I came here wanting this week, so I’m very happy.
“It is the simplest thing in the world. It’s practice, practice, practice. The only way you’ll get better is by repetition and just trying to improve.”
Female winner in Intellectual 2, Erika Malmberg who is autistic, also competes in order to spread awareness and understanding of this often misunderstood condition. (Michelle Lau of Cambridgeshire was also in this sport class, inspired to compete herself after seeing Erika’s posts on Instagram.) At Woburn, Erika shed a few tears as the Swedish player described how golf has helped her to learn and become stronger in life.
Richard Kluwen of the Netherlands won the day in Sitting 2, and just as Daphne did he praised his volunteer caddie. So many of the players praised the volunteers, led brilliantly by Woburn’s Glenna Beasley and Stephan Dimic.
Richard said of his experience: “This is the first time I played a G4D Tour tournament and I am bedazzled. I am, really, I can’t believe that the organisation can be so well thought through. Everything is right. A lot of volunteers who will help with everything. It’s really a party to be here and I know I will be here next year, that’s for sure.
“I got here on the first day, I asked for a caddie and I met Susan. I think she’s the best caddie a player could ever wish for, we had good fun.”
With the backing of The Duke of Bedford, President of Woburn Golf Club, and his highly professional staff, nothing was too much trouble in a week when the details were as important as the broad brush.
In the build-up to the event EDGA Head of Instruction & Education Mark Taylor coached the PGA Professional staff at Woburn so they could gain expertise in the area of coaching players new and established with a disability. Sessions included learning how to help players who swing from a Paragolfer and players with a visual impairment. PGA Assistant Professional Jacob Fawcett said the training was a “confidence booster, giving me knowledge and insight so I can always welcome a golfer with disability and be able to help them in their approach to golf”.
Meanwhile, Mark Taylor and EDGA eligibility assessor Lee-Ann Clarke (Golf Ireland) welcomed two groups of mental health patients from the East London NHS Foundation Trust to Woburn, offering The R&A approved ‘D3’ first-touch golf format which uses safe, light, colourful, adapted Golfway chippers and putters with soft balls, that can be used in non-golf venues, such as hospitals and schools. Importantly, Mark and Lee-Ann were able to offer training in D3 to staff and volunteers from the Trust so they could impart their new learning to a great many patients in the year ahead.
Mark Taylor said: “It’s good to see a different demographic taking part in these activations, showcasing some of the positive benefits that golf offers in the wider aspect of golf and health.”
The ‘Visual Putting Challenge’ held near the clubhouse was both an awareness exercise for all present and used in organised training for new ‘Guides’ for players with visual impairment. Everyone having a go gained an insight into what golfers with a visual impairment must contend with on every green. Helped by an attending ‘Guide’, ‘simulation glasses’ made the putting process gradually more difficult, and those trying had to rely on their Guide and their own sense of feel and balance to succeed.
A group of students from Lealands High School, Luton, were eager to take part in this challenge, with EDGA Tournament Director Manon Eggermont using her training to act as their Guide. Director of Physical Education Shayne Harnett brought two groups totalling 22 students (including eight young people with special educational needs). Mr Harnett said: “We thought this was an ideal opportunity to expose our students to a new sport in golf, and certainly watching the players on the course and then taking part in this visual challenge has made us all think a little more about the resilience some athletes need to succeed. It has been a really positive experience for us all.”
Students commented on how impressive it was that golfers with a visual impairment could take part in The G4D Open.
One of those players, Paul O’Rahilly from Ireland, was playing in the in Visual 1 sport class, and was taking on all the challenges faced by someone with a significant visual impairment.
Paul was hugely grateful to his great friend John who was with him as his Guide. Of his playing he said: “I was very impressed with the golf course, a fantastic test in every way. In addition to that, then you’re faced with undulating lies, challenging stances and that’s just the start of it. Once you get to the green, you are faced with just incredibly fast putts.
“The work that went into the event itself from The R&A, the DP World Tour, from EDGA, from Woburn Golf Club… There were professional people and volunteers that brought something together that was just really well planned from start to finish. And we were treated like professional golfers. We were treated with tremendous respect.”
Thinking ahead, the aim is to bring in more quality female golfers for The G4D Open in 2025 (there were 11 female golfers qualifying this year).
Daphne van Houten would agree with this objective: “You can see people watching now and they are impressed with what we are doing. Hopefully more people come to watch and start to pick up a golf club.”
Aimi Bullock, EDGA’s Director of Women’s Golf, said: “There were more women playing this year, which was fantastic, and there was a lot more coverage of the women across social media. When you speak to all of us, we have all had a brilliant time. It’s been a fantastic experience and hopefully that will reach a wider audience and encourage more women to want to be part of what is a fantastic event, and is only going to get better and better.”
Talking of the future, on a practice area behind the clubhouse, something great happened on the second day of the tournament.
Sports-mad Joanie, age 10, from South Oxfordshire, was invited to join a special coaching session given by EDGA, where she joined a group of children with limb differences to test out a new golfing device being developed to increase accessibility for the sport.
UK-based Koalaa is collaborating with EDGA on the development of the new golf tool, which is designed to enhance the ability of players with upper limb differences to effectively use a golf club. Koalaa and national charity the LimbBo Foundation invited the youngsters along to experience The G4D Open.
While the development process is still in its early stages, the session at Woburn followed months of research and testing and was the first time that younger players have been invited to try out the prototype device.
Joanie and four other children completed four holes on a specially created practice course, experiencing both teeing off and putting.
Joanie commented: “The whole day was a great experience because I got to try a new sport for the very first time and met lots of people who were just like me. The new prosthetic and tool gave me control over the golf club so I could do a better swing. This was my first-time playing golf and I hope I will play again soon.”
Aimi Bullock, who has been supporting Koalaa’s research with Mark Taylor, said: “The children are our future of course, for playing this sport. We have had some fantastic feedback from the parents who have said their children are all desperate to get to the driving range and hopefully that means they are going to want to keep playing golf. They were inspired by the whole experience to want to be part of this.”
NB: When using any EDGA media, please comply with our copyright conditions