Roganstown Golf Club is once again set to host the ISPS Handa Irish Open for Golfers with a Disability this week, and with his second G4D Open title secured just three weeks ago at Woburn, the in-form Brendan Lawlor will be aiming to add the as yet elusive home title to his growing list of achievements.
The 36-hole championship will feature competitions across both Stroke Play and Stableford formats, and for the first time, the field will also compete within their respective Sport Classes. This development means participants will not only vie for the overall titles across two days of action but also for honours within their classification, marking another important step in the ongoing growth of inclusive golf in Ireland.
Louth native Lawlor has been a leading figure in disabled golf globally, and the 28-year-old returns to his home open full of confidence following a determined off season and victories in both County Sligo (ISPS Handa G4D at The West) and Woburn already this year.
“It was an amazing week,” Lawlor said of his G4D Open win.
“I put serious grind in during the winter, going out in the cold days, playing a lot of golf, and I felt really comfortable going into that event and it’s a course that really suits me. I didn’t make any mistakes. I stayed out of trouble all week, so I’ll definitely put the win down to consistency.”
This year’s event is once again supported by ISPS Handa, whose mission to promote the power of sport to inspire and transform has been central to the development of disabled golf globally. Their continued investment, combined with Golf Ireland’s commitment to inclusion, has driven significant growth in participation across the island.
“This one’s close to my heart because ISPS Handa sponsor the disability sector of Ireland the last couple of years so any event I can play and represent them and Ireland at the same time it’s a good feeling,” said Lawlor.
“I have to give credit to Golf Ireland, because they really went into the deep end with disability golf. I was the only one doing it maybe five or six years ago, and now they have hubs all over Ireland with I think over 100 players on the roster now, so that’s a really massive growth in such a short space of time.”
Among the competitors teeing up at the Dublin course are Irish internationals Fiona Gray (St Patrick’s), Ian St John (Tramore) and local Roganstown hopeful Cian Arthurs. With Lawlor set to take on the stacked field he is hoping his recent success will breed more glory this week.
“It would mean the world,” said Lawlor.
“I haven’t won this one yet. Again, going out with no expectations, I’m just trying to focus on my own thing and stay in the moment. If I can play the golf I’ve been playing, I can hopefully get another win under my belt.”
Round One of the ISPS Handa Irish Open for Golfers with a Disability tees off tomorrow morning before the closing 18 holes takes place on Wednesday.
View tee times and scoring here
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