G4D Tour Archives - Golf Digest Middle East

Browne wins second G4D Tour title in Dubai, dedicates season finale win to late father

Golf Digest Middle East — Sun, 19 Nov 2023 04:33:21 +0000

Mike Browne dedicated his second G4D Tour title to the memory of his father after securing a three-stroke victory at the season-ending event in Dubai.

With inclement weather resulting in Friday’s play being cancelled, the G4D Tour Season Finale @ DP World Tour Championship was reduced to 18 holes at Jumeirah Golf Estates.

Browne posted a one under par 71 to finish ahead of World Number One Kipp Popert, inaugural G4D Open winner Brendan Lawlor and Canada’s Kurtis Barkley who finished in a tie for second place.

Mike Browne with a dart into 17 ? #G4DTour | #GolfForGood pic.twitter.com/DlIAvhYHGm

— DP World Tour (@DPWorldTour) November 18, 2023

The Englishman won his maiden G4D title in Ireland last year and he was delighted to make an emotional return to the winner’s circle at the Earth course.

“That was a pretty special day,” he said. “The course was playing amazing.

“That one was for my dad. We lost him a year ago.”

The Englishman began with a bogey but bounced back immediately with a birdie at the par five second, before getting into the red by also birdieing the long seventh.

Leg-amputee Browne held a one-shot lead after his opening nine holes, with World Number One Kipp Popert and fellow G4D Tour winner David Watts his nearest challengers.

Back-to-back gains at the 11th and 12th extended his advantage to four shots, before he closed with a double bogey after taking shot penalty following his second shot at the par five 18th.

This was the eighth and final event of an expanded second season of the G4D Tour.

During the season, the world’s best golfers with a disability have played at some iconic venues, something that is not lost on Browne.

“You can’t put it into words,” he said, “You are sharing the course with the greats of modern times so I feel very privileged and lucky to get this chance.

“Thank you to everyone who has got me to this point.”

Fellow Englishman Popert, who won four times this season, mixed two birdies with four bogeys to finish at two over, while Lawlor and Barkley made closing birdies to both card a two over par 74.

Image: Getty

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Rasmus Lia lands maiden G4D Tour title at Dubai season finale

Matt Smith — Sat, 19 Nov 2022 10:13:48 +0000

By GolfDigestMe.com
Rasmus Lia claimed his maiden G4D Tour title as he cruised to a four-shot win at the G4D Tour Finale @ DP World Tour Championship.

The Swede held a one-stroke lead over American Chris Biggins and Spaniard Juan Postigo Arce after day one at Jumeirah Golf Estates and fought off his nearest rivals with an assured level-par 72 at the Earth Course on Saturday.

Lia, who turns 22 in January, becomes the fourth different champion of the inaugural G4D Tour season, joining four-time winner Kipp Popert, Mike Browne and Tommaso Perrino.

He carded four birdies on a three-under par back nine to clinch victory with a three-over par total, with Biggins and Canadian Kurtis Barkley in a share of second place at seven-over.

“It was very exciting, special today,” said Lia, who was the only player to shoot level par or better across the two days of competition. “It feels unreal to be here right now.”

Lia began his final round with a birdie on the first for the second day running, but two bogeys and then a double bogey at the ninth saw him turn in 39 with a one-shot advantage over world No. 1 Popert, Biggins and Brendan Lawlor.

But with players on his tail on the back nine, Lia found his mojo to record three consecutive birdies from the 13th, before he cancelled out a bogey at the par-three 17th with a closing birdie to seal a deserved triumph.

“I definitely felt the pressure,” he said. “I didn’t look that much at the leaderboard but I had a feeling that it was going to be close. I made a few nice birdies on the back nine and managed to finish strong.”

Lia, who had his father Trond as his caddie for the first time this week, was one of eight leading golfers with a disability taking part in the final event of the inaugural G4D Tour season.

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Mike Browne excited for Wentworth test as G4D Tour returns to England for BMW PGA Championship

Matt Smith — Thu, 01 Sep 2022 12:16:16 +0000

By Matt Smith
Mike Browne is aiming for his second G4D Tour title of the season when the Englishman takes on his rivals and the famous Wentworth West Course at the G4D Tour @ BMW PGA Championship next week.

The WR4GD (World Ranking for Golfers with a Disability) No. 7 is joined by the nine other top 10 players in the world, follwing his Horizon Irish Open triumph at Mount Juliet in June.

“I decided to play a lot on the G4D Tour this year, helping to promote disability golf,” said Browne. “The standard these guys can play at now is phenomenal and the world needs to see how good disabled golf is, especially at the peak of the EDGA series it’s pretty special.”

World No. 1 Brendan Lawlor will be bidding for his first G4D Tour victory after finishing runner-up on two occasions this season, while No. 2 Kipp Popert in the world will go in search of a hat-trick of 2022 titles. The young Englishman defeated Kurtis Barkley in a play-off at The Belfry to win at the British Masters in May and then needed extra holes to beat Lawlor at the Porsche European Open later that month.

Joining Popert and Browne on home soil in the 10-man field is Bradley Smith, who earned his place at Wentworth after winning three of five EDGA (European Disabled Golf Association) tournaments he has played in this season.

“I’m really looking forward to playing on home turf, especially at Wentworth,” said Smith. “Fingers crossed we get some good home support. It’s going to be pretty magical.”

As winners on the Tour this year, Browne, Perrino and Popert have already earned their places in the G4D Tour Series Finale @ DP World Tour Championship, which will take place ahead of the final Rolex Series event of the season at Jumeirah Golf Estates in Dubai this November.

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G4D Tour: Perrino prevails at Galgorm for maiden title, books spot at DPWTC in Dubai in November

Matt Smith — Wed, 10 Aug 2022 07:23:02 +0000

By Matt Smith
Tommaso Perrino eased to a maiden G4D title at the ISPS Handa World Invitational presented by AVIV Clinics.

The 38-year-old Italian held a one-stroke lead over wolrd No. 1 Brendan Lawlor at Galgorm Castle Golf Club in Northern Ireland after an opening four-under 68, and a colsing two-under 70 clinched a five-stroke victory.

The world No. 7 is a prolific winner on the golf for the disabled circuit and had made steady improvements during the 2022 G4D Tour season, and a six-under total on Tuesday gave him a comfortable win ahead of Lawlor and two-time G4D Tour winner Kipp Popert.

“When I dreamed, I thought about this moment — this shows dreams can come true,” said Perrino. “Galgorm is one of my favourite courses, but it’s the house of Brendan, he’s the best player. But today I played perfectly. I missed some putts, but I controlled my game, this is unbelievable.

“Brendan is always competitive in every tournament and I knew it would take hard work to stay in front of him, but I started fast and remained in control at the finish. There was some pressure on the way in, dropping two shots, but it finished perfectly for me.”

Perrino was congratulated on the 18th green by his fellow competitors as he secured his first win on the G4D Tour.

“That was really important,” said Perrino. “I’m friends with all the players who I play with. I try to enjoy every moment of every day, and it’s important for me that we’re all friends. There’s not a bad word said between any of us.”

The Italian is one of three competitors who have now secured their place at the end-of-season G4D @ DP World Tour Championship at Jumeirah Golf Estates in Dubai in November. Perrino joins Popert and Mike Browne.

The next G4D Tour event will take place ahead of the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth Club from September 5-6.

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