Men and women will go head-to-head at the G4D Tour @ Volvo Car Scandinavian Mixed at Ullna Golf and Country Club outside Stockholm next week.
The tournament is the first equal split of five male players and five female players competing for the same trophy on the same golf course from June 5-6, running concurrently to the co-sanctioned DP World Tour and Ladies European Tour event which begins on Thursday June 8 and is hosted by ten-time Major Champion Annika Sörenstam.
Brendan Lawlor, the reigning G4D Open Champion, will tee it up alongside current World Number One on the World Rankings for Golfers with a Disability (WR4GD) Kipp Popert, Juan Postigo Arce, Kurtis Barkley and home favourite Rasmus Lia.
Carton House man Lawlor edged out Popert in a close contest to take the historic win at the inaugural G4D Open at Woburn by two shots at the renowned Duchess Course.
“I’m very excited for the Volvo Car Scandinavian Mixed,” said Lawlor. “The fact that there’s a whole diverse of disabilities and it’s a mixed field between five men and five women, it’s absolutely game changing.
“I think it’s important to grow both sides of the game and this is a fantastic showcase and a fantastic platform to do so. We’ve gained some massive strides in the men’s side of the game and in disability golf, and I think we’re going to gain some massive strides in the women’s side of the game. Thanks to EDGA, the DP World Tour and big organisations for giving us this opportunity.”
Meanwhile Kim Moore will lead the charge on the women’s side and is joined by Aimi Bullock, Julia Bowen, Fiona Gray and Jennifer Sräga. American Moore enjoyed an epic four stroke win in the female category of the G4D Open, a performance which helped her burst into the top-50 of the World Rankings.
“I’m very excited to be playing in the Volvo Car Scandinavian Mixed right alongside the DP World Tour and LET pros in Sweden,” said Moore. “It will be a treat to travel to Sweden, a place I’ve never been before and I’m looking forward to competing against the top female and male disabled golfers and showcasing our talents on the world’s stage.
“I feel with the growing number of new golfers being women, it’s extremely important for the G4D Tour to be opening up the event to both male and female golfers. The exposure that this event gets will be huge in motivating and inspiring others with disabilities to give golf a chance. Golf is such a great game in the fact that it can be so adaptable to an individuals’ physical needs and limitations, and that is why I hope an event like this helps bring more awareness to the adaptive golf community and helps to grow the game as a whole.”
Promoting gender equality and inclusivity within the sport by uniting top male and female golfers in a mixed competition, this event seeks to showcase the immense talent and skill possessed by both genders while creating a level playing field for all participants.
Andrew Lynch, Head of Sustainability for the DP World Tour, said: “The DP World Tour is proud to be at the forefront of this historic moment in golf and we believe that embracing diversity is essential for the continued growth and success of the sport. By introducing the mixed format at the G4D Tour @ Volvo Car Scandinavian Mixed, we aim to encourage more inclusive and equitable opportunities for all athletes.
“After the success of the G4D Open, an event which featured nine sport classes across multiple impairment groups, with players represented from 17 countries, we are thrilled to have an equal split of male and female golfers.”
Tony Bennett, EDGA President, added: “The G4D @ Volvo Car Scandinavian Mixed will showcase some of the leading male and female golfers with a disability competing in an open golf format that is true to the EDGA values. When we created the G4D Tour in partnership with the DP World Tour, the original concept was to showcase how open the game of golf is so that it could inspire males and females with a disability to take a club and hit a ball to a target in, on, or above the ground.
“All of the work EDGA does with the DP World Tour, The R&A and more than 50 National Federations is focused on providing opportunities along the player pathway of sample, participate and compete. Thanks to the DP World Tour, its partners, and the Volvo Car Scandinavian Mixed organisers, we look forward to another first on the G4D Tour.”
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