Brendan Lawlor and Kipp Popert look set for a final-day showdown at the inaugural G4D Open at Woburn.
The two leading players in the World Ranking for Golfers with Disability (WR4GD) are separated by just a single stroke going into the final 18 holes over the renowned Duchess Course.
Carton House’s Lawlor, the world number two, missed chances with his putter in a two-over-par second round of 74 yet still signed for an impressive level-par total of 144.
“I hit it so good again today,” said an encouraged Lawlor. “I hit a lot of fairways, a lot of greens. I had a few silly three-putts and a lot of putts from inside five feet I missed. So probably looking back on my round I could be five shots better. That’s just golf. All you can do is play yourself into contention for tomorrow and hopefully they will drop then.
.@BrendanLawlor97 leads the way at the inaugural G4D Open on day two thanks to shots like this 🤩 pic.twitter.com/Ucuqy7u3E2
— DP World Tour (@DPWorldTour) May 11, 2023
“I didn’t really look at the leaderboard but Kipp’s one behind so you never know, it could turn into a match play situation pretty easily tomorrow.”
World number one Popert, 24, dropped three shots in his first four holes but, like his opening round, the Englishman recovered on the back nine to post a three-over 75 and trail by a shot on 145 for 36 holes.
“I felt I scored well,” said Popert. “It was a grind. I got up-and-down. I played in the trees a lot, chipped out a lot. So yeah, to come off there with three-over, I’m still in it. All I needed to do was to be around the lead. I’ve won from behind before and I’ve won from ahead before. I like competing and that’s why I’m here.”
Popert, who was born with a form of Cerebral Palsy called Spastic Diplegia, has won five times on the G4D Tour in 2022/23 and will chase another notable victory tomorrow. Lawlor, 26, who has played in a number of DP World Tour events, has a rare condition called Ellis–van Creveld syndrome, characterised by a shorter stature and shorter limbs, and continues to impress at the Bedfordshire venue.
On an improved weather day after thunderstorms during day one, Italian Tommaso Perrino and Juan Postigo Arce from Spain, the world number four, are the closest challengers to the leading pair on six-over-par. Perrino has signed for two rounds of 75, with Postigo dropping back after his 79 which featured two double bogeys.
Another Carton House man, Conor Stone and Rasmus Lia from Sweden are next on the international leaderboard at eight-over with Sligo’s Alan Gaynor tied-10th at plus-12.
While Lawlor and Popert are both professionals, this week has seen a field of 80 male and female amateur and professional golfers competing across sport classes which cover various categories in Standing, Intellectual, Visual and Sitting.
- Full scoring Here
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