Ireland’s Brendan Lawlor claimed the inaugural G4D Open title after a nervy final-round showdown with England’s Kipp Popert at Woburn’s Duchess Course.
Lawlor, second in the World Ranking for Golfers with Disability, hit a three-over-par 75 to finish three over.
Top-ranked Popert, who began round three a shot back, led by one after nine holes but bogeyed three of his last six in a 76 for a five-over total.
“I’m proud of myself just to get it done – really happy,” said Lawlor.
“Hopefully this is the start and we’re going to have many more of these major events. Disability golf is definitely on the way up.”
The 26-year-old, who has a rare condition called Ellis-van Creveld syndrome, characterised by a shorter stature and shorter limbs, bogeyed his first three holes.
That allowed Popert, who dropped a shot at the first, to edge into a slender lead, and he birdied the sixth to move two clear.
However, Popert, who was born with a form of cerebral palsy called spastic diplegia, bogeyed the eighth and Lawlor birdied the 10th to leave them tied on two over par.
Further bogeys on the 13th and 15th for Popert saw him slip two back but a Lawlor bogey on 16 kept the contest tight. However, par was good enough to win at the last as Popert dropped another shot.
“It was great fun,” said 24-year-old Popert, who has won five times on the G4D Tour in 2022-23.
“Brendan deserves it and I couldn’t be happier for him. I holed a lot of good putts and my short game was good this week. Basically it was just one of those days where Brendan beat me. I’m still very happy.”
Juan Postigo Arce of Spain, the world number four who was born with one leg, finished third on eight over after a 74.
American Kim Moore, who won the US Adaptive Open at Pinehurst last year, was the leading woman. The 42-year-old, who was born without a right foot and a clubbed left foot, finished joint 28th – four shots ahead of Ireland’s Fiona Gray.
A field of 80 male and female amateur and professional golfers took part in the 54-hole event, competing across standing, intellectual, visual and sitting categories.
The championship was held in partnership with the R&A and the DP World Tour and supported by EDGA (formerly the European Disabled Golf Association).
