G4D Open: The first-ever G4D Open was won by Brendan Lawlor at Woburn on Friday, defeating world No. 1 Kipp Popert by two strokes.
The Irishman, who is placed No. 2 in the rankings for handicapped golfers, one spot behind England’s Popert, bogeyed his first three holes on the final day, briefly giving up the lead, but then took it back on the back nine.
After both players carded pars on the 16th, Lawlor’s two-shot lead was down to one. Popert’s chances of closing the deficit were dashed when he found the woods at the 18th and dropped a shot, his third blunder in his final six holes.
Lawlor’s par put him at three over for the tournament and the day, while Popert’s final-round four-over par cost him a sixth G4D Tour victory for the 2022–23 season, putting him two back at five over.
Juan Postigo Arce of Spain, who was born with only one leg, came in third with a score of eight over par.
This week, a group of 80 amateur and professional golfers, both men and women, competed in a variety of standing, sitting, thinking, and visual sports classes.
Popert was born with spastic diplegia, a kind of cerebral palsy, and Lawlor has Ellis-van Creveld syndrome, an uncommon disorder marked by small height and short limbs.
‘Disability golf on the ascent made us feel regal’
“It’s really an awesome sensation,” Lawlor added. It still hasn’t fully sunk in. Since I’ve been working so hard on it, my game has been trending pretty well.
“I’m incredibly thrilled and proud of myself simply for finishing it. I didn’t hit the ball well all day, but on the front nine, I made a bunch of crucial putts.
“This week has been amazing. The volunteers, The R&A, DP World Tour, and EDGA all contributed greatly to the completion of this championship. This week, each participant felt like a king or queen.
“Hopefully, this is only the beginning and there will be many more of these significant events. Disability golf is undoubtedly growing,” added Popert.
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