The creation of the G4D Open is “great news” for golfers with disabilities, says world number two Brendan Lawlor.
The inaugural 54-hole event, launched by the R&A, will be contested by up to 80 players at Woburn Golf Club between 10 and 12 May.
Irishman Lawlor, 25, became the first golfer with a disability to compete on the DP World Tour in 2020.
He was born with the bone disorder Ellis-Van Creveld Syndrome, which means he has a shorter stature and limbs.
“It’s not just about competing and winning, it’s about etching your name in the history books,” he said.
“We’ve done that a few times as golfers, including when I became the first player with a disability to play on the European Challenge Tour in 2019 and the DP World Tour in 2020, which were big milestones.
“To win this new championship would be just as big in my eyes.”
Martin Slumbers, chief executive of the R&A added:”We have established The G4D Open to provide a world-class stage for the very best golfers with disabilities to compete against each other and realise their ambitions at an elite level of the sport.
“The World Health Organisation states that one in six people has a disability and so we want to show that golf is open to everyone regardless of ability.
“We can do this by celebrating the exceptional skills of golfers who as role models will inspire more men, women and young people to take up the sport through their achievements on the course.”
The Golf for the Disabled (G4D) Tour launched in 2022 and is in its second season.
