Brendan Lawlor speaks out at nasty online comments

Ronan MacNamara
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Brendan Lawlor (Image: Getty Images)

Ronan MacNamara

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Brendan Lawlor has hit back at online trolls after receiving abuse for his appearance at the DP World Tour’s ISPS Handa Championship in Japan.

Lawlor released a video highlighting the comments and the damaging impact they can have on disability sport across the world, not just golf.

The Louth man who has played his whole life with Ellis Van Creveld syndrome – a bone growth disorder that leads to shorter limbs became the first disability golfer to compete in DP World Tour and Challenge Tour events in August 2020 and has continued to feature occasionally since.

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The world number two disability golfer received a sponsor’s invite to compete in Japan last month and missed the cut after rounds of 81 and 77. However, while being an example to anyone with a disability that you can play at the highest level, he was unfortunately mocked for his height and condition after the DP World Tour posted videos of him on social media.

On Wednesday, Lawlor shared a selection of the comments and addressed them in an online video where he highlighted the negative impact they could have on disabled people trying to make their way in sport.

Support has come pouring in on instagram and twitter from the likes of Shane Lowry and Niall Horan.

“I got a beautiful start in Japan, had a fabulous week, and the DP World Tour shared a video which went viral,” Lawlor explained. “It got some amazing feedback, real positive, but unfortunately it got some real negative.

“I just wanted to get on and highlight how bad the negative was and, if you weren’t in the frame of mind to take this negativity, of what it could do to people

“I’m lucky enough where my condition has never affected me. I’ve grown up all my life with negative comments and I blew them off with the breeze, but I wanted to hop on and highlight these comments for other people.

“Disability people are putting themselves out there now on a platform, DP World Tour are sharing videos, and I don’t want these guys to get slandered online with nasty comments.

“It’s going to happen anyway, but we’ve broken down so many barriers in the world of golf and I feel this was the opportunity for me to highlight this barrier and maybe overcome this one as well.

“These guys are putting themselves out there for other people to put themselves out there and it’s a roll-on affect. We’re trying to get more disability people into sport in general and I just think the comments are damaging.

“I’m all for equality of opportunity and that’s what we’re showcasing on the DP World Tour. I hope we can go further and comments like this don’t affect our players and people in general.”

Lawlor will be in the field for the inaugural G4D Open at Woburn from May 10-12.

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