By Daniel Rapaport
A 22-year-old Irishman made history on Thursday, becoming the first golfer with disabilities to compete in a European Tour event.

Brendan Lawlor shot 84 in the first round of the ISPS Handa UK Championship at The Belfry in England. He has a rare genetic disorder called Ellis-van Creveld syndrome, which is characterized by short limb dwarfism, abnormal development of fingers and/or toes and, often, congenital heart defects. He has not let any of that get in the way of a budding professional career and was excited upon receiving a sponsor’s invitation to play against some of the best players in Europe.

“I’m feeling really good and looking forward to it,” he told the Irish Examiner. “It’s going to be a nice week and I’m going to go in and enjoy it.

“ISPS Handa had an invite for me to attend and I’m extremely grateful for that. I became an ambassador for them this year and what they represent is incredible, not just golf but in all different sports, like wheelchair basketball and able-bodied sports as well. So they’re a massive advocate for that and I’m grateful for the invite.”

Lawlor turned professional last September and is represented by Modest Golf, the agency founded by music star Niall Horan. The no. 4 player in the World Rankings for Golfers With Disability, he is an ambassador for ISPS Handa, and also recently signed an endorsement deal with TaylorMade. Lawlor has emerged as something of a leader in the disabled golf community, a title he fully embraces.

“I love it and it just feels natural to promote the game and make disability golf as big as we can make it and get more players in,” he told the Examiner. “It doesn’t have to be at the competitive level, but on a well-being level as well and that side is very important too.

“So it is a big week, not just for myself but a big week for people looking in and believing they can get to that level and compete and most importantly get the invite. What we represent is so special and there are some inspirational stories to hear and I think there’s going to be a lot more events that we’ll be taking part in.”

Lawlor is expected to also tee it up in next week’s Challenge Tour event, the IN Open.

The post Brendan Lawlor becomes first golfer with disabilities to compete on European Tour appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

By Kent Gray
Irishman Brendan Lawlor was given the honour of marking a month to go until the 11th DP World Tour Championship on Sunday, hitting a ceremonial tee shot off the 1st tee on Earth at Jumeirah Golf Estates to mark the occasion.

Lawlor is one of eight golfers of determination set to compete in the inaugural EDGA Dubai Finale, a 36-hole tournament that will be played in conjunction with the DPWTC using the same course set-up as the European Tour’s elite players.

The 22-year-old hit the shot in the presence of His Excellency Sheikh Fahim Bin Sultan Al Qasimi, Chairman of the Emirates Golf Federation, and later hosted a coaching clinic for the Students of Determination from Dubai Heights Academy and the UAE’s U13 Boys squad who recently won the bronze medal at the Pan Arab Golf Championships in Egypt.

It was a memorable day at @JGEGolf as we officially marked ‘One Month To Go’ until the DP World Tour Championship with some very special guests ?

Register for free entry or hospitality tickets here: https://t.co/ekG3eJCI9Z#dpwtc #racetodubai #rolexseries @BrendanLawlor97 pic.twitter.com/xE9WoEbcxU

— DP World Tour Championship (@dpwtc) October 20, 2019

The introduction of the EDGA tournament marks the first time a golfers of determination event has been hosted in conjunction with a European Tour event in the region, following the successful EDGA Scottish Open at the Renaissance Club, which Lawlor won.

New European Tour Middle East Tom Phillips welcomed Lawlor to JGE.

“It’s great to have Brendan with us to celebrate our one-month countdown and we look forward to welcoming him and seven other Golfers of Determination back here to Jumeirah Golf Estates for the inaugural EDGA Dubai Finale,” Phillips said.

“Golf has always been an inclusive game and we are very proud that the European Tour is a driving force in opening up the sport to as many people as possible.”

The EDGA Dubai Finale dovetails nicely with the UAE’s official Year of Tolerance and DP World’s commitment to driving an inclusive and tolerant culture across its business, sponsorship platform and the wider UAE community.

“DP World aims to build a better future for everyone and it’s great to see, first-hand, children of all ages, backgrounds, genders and abilities playing a sport that means so much to our business,” said Mohammed Al Muallem, CEO and Managing Director of DP World.

“Golf is much more than just a game, it’s a platform for us to inspire people through the DP World Tour Championship and our partnership with the Emirates Golf Federation to build a more inclusive society.”

This year’s DPWTC will see the top 50 players on the European Tour’s Race to Dubai Rankings – down from 60 – eligible to compete in the prestigious event over the Earth course from November 21-24. The tournament will also boast the richest first prize in golf with the champion receiving a mouth-watering US$3 million.

An estimated 65,000 spectators are expected to attend the free event with a further 500 million people tuning in across the globe to see the action unfold on television.

The post Lawlor launches 11th DPWTC countdown appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.