Another window of opportunity opened for Australia's leading golfers with a disability today with the announcement of a new event to be played as part of the upcoming Presidents Cup.
US PGA Tour officials confirmed that 12 of the world’s leading golfers with a disability from six different countries will compete in the ISPS Handa Disabled Golf Cup at Royal Melbourne.
The event, to be contested on Friday 13 December after the Presidents Cup’s second session of play, will feature an "Australia versus the world" competition.
It will take place on 10 holes of Royal Melbourne's famous Composite Course, off the same tees and in the same condition as the American and International teams will experience.
Golf Australia inclusion manager Christian Hamilton said it was another great chance to showcase the elite skills of competitors.
"And that's not to mention the unique experience it will be for those athletes, too," Hamilton said.
"We are really grateful for the support of the PGA Tour, but especially for the ongoing commitment of ISPS Handa who have played such an incredibly supportive role in not only this tournament, but dozens of others around the world."
Haruhisa Handa, founder and chairman of ISPS Handa, was delighted the athletes with a disability would take "centre stage at the famed Royal Melbourne".
"The Presidents Cup is a terrific format which embodies the power of sport through its significant charitable giving," Dr Handa said.
"ISPS Handa is delighted to have the opportunity to promote disabled golf in association with the Presidents Cup and to see the adaptive game garnering major support from many tours.
"We are sincerely grateful to the PGA Tour for their immense contribution to this worldwide effort that we first undertook three decades ago."
ISPS Handa has been a leading voice in gathering support for the inclusion of golf in the Paralympics, an initiative supported by the PGA Tour and International Federation of PGA Tours.
To continue to raise awareness of this initiative, ISPS Handa will also host exhibitions of golf for golfers with a disability or who are blind at the Tournament of Champions in Hawaii for the next two years.
Ten of the 12 ISPS Handa Disabled Golf Cup athletes will compete in Sydney the week before the Presidents Cup in the second Australian All Abilities Championship, run concurrently with the Australian Open.
The 12 golfers will include six from Australia and six from the rest of the world.
The full field is:
|
1 |
Kenny Bontz |
USA |
|
2 |
Mike Browne |
ENGLAND |
|
3 |
Tony Coates |
AUSTRALIA |
|
4 |
Chad Pfeifer |
USA |
|
5 |
Brendan Lawlor |
IRELAND |
|
6 |
Shane Luke |
AUSTRALIA |
|
7 |
Geoff Nicholas |
AUSTRALIA |
|
8 |
Cameron Pollard |
AUSTRALIA |
|
9 |
Stephen Prior |
AUSTRALIA |
|
10 |
Mike Rolls |
AUSTRALIA |
|
11 |
Daphne Van Houten |
NETHERLANDS |
|
12 |
Adem Wahbi |
BELGIUM |