Brendan Lawlor holds a narrow advantage in his pursuit of a second men’s G4D Open title, with the women’s event also set for an exciting finish at Woburn.
On a glorious day over the Duchess Course, Irishman Lawlor saw his two-stroke overnight lead cut to one shot ahead of France’s Thomas Colombel going into the final round tomorrow.
In the women’s championship, defending champion Daphne van Houten from The Netherlands is tied with Jennifer Sräga from Germany as they vie for success.
Lawlor, winner of the inaugural G4D Open in 2023 and third on the World Ranking for Golfers with Disability (WR4GD), mixed two birdies with four bogeys for a 74 and a 36-hole total of two-over-par 146.
The 28-year-old, who has a rare condition called Ellis–van Creveld syndrome, characterised by a shorter stature and shorter limbs, has finished consistently highly in G4D Tour events and is looking to build on his runner-up finish behind Kipp Popert a year ago.
“It was fiery out there today in the sun but I’m hitting it pretty good. I just need to swing it hard, that’s my motto. I’m going to go out with that attitude tomorrow and be aggressive. I was very aggressive both days hitting driver where other people wouldn’t and it’s paying off.
“I’m going to keep my game plan going and hopefully it’s a low one tomorrow. I think the winner is going to come from the top three because it’s hard to go lower.”
Colombel produced a fine display to sign for a level-par 72 after four birdies and four bogeys for three-over 147. The 23-year-old left-hander, who is autistic, finished eighth in The G4D Open last year.
Danish debutant Frederik Brokfelt-Christiansen, the youngest player in the field, is one shot further back on four-over 148 after a second successive 74. Brokfelt-Christiansen, 18, who has scoliosis of the spine, started with three straight birdies, faltered with a double-bogey at the 5th and only had five pars in an up-and-down round. Englishman Thomas Blizzard, who is also autistic, is sitting fourth on six-over 150 on a tightly-contested leaderboard.
In the women’s field, last year’s winner van Houten is on the same 171 mark as Sräga. With both players commenting on the challenging fiery conditions, the pair sit four strokes ahead of Aimi Bullock from England.
Born with scoliosis and since faced other health battles, van Houten’s victory 12 months ago followed numerous wins on the EDGA Tour for the 26-year-old. Sräga, 25, was born with Achondroplasia, commonly called short stature, and is making her Championship debut having competed for Germany in the European Team Championship last year.
The G4D Open – held in partnership between The R&A and the DP World Tour and supported by EDGA – is one of the most inclusive ever staged. The Championship features nine sport classes across multiple impairment groups, with 80 men and women players of both amateur and professional status representing 20 countries.
Contested over three rounds until tomorrow across 54 holes of gross stroke play, there will be overall men’s and women’s winners and a gross prize in each of the sport classes which cover various categories in Standing, Intellectual, Visual and Sitting.
Spectators are encouraged to attend at Woburn for The G4D Open, with attendance and car parking free of charge.
The establishment of The G4D Open follows on from the inclusion of the Modified Rules of Golf for Players with Disabilities into the Rules of Golf and The R&A and USGA’s on-going administration of the WR4GD.
View scoring from round two at The G4D Open here.
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