Englishman Kipp Popert clinched victory at the G4D Open, the fifth event of the G4D Tour season, held at the prestigious Woburn Golf Club (Duchess Course) in Milton Keynes, England. Popert, the number one in the World Ranking for Golfers with a Disability (WR4GD), and a dominant force in the category, secured his tenth title in three years on the tour.
In the final round, he edged out the number two player, Irishman Brendan Lawlor, the defending champion, who finished second with 218 strokes.
G4D Open, results
The tournament, organized in collaboration between The R&A and DP World Tour and supported by EDGA, saw participation from 80 competitors representing 19 nations.
Italy’s Tommaso Perrino, ranked tenth in the world, finished in tenth place with a total of 229 strokes (78 75 76). Three other Italian para-athletes also competed: Davide Palestro finished 43rd with 256 strokes, Luisa Ceola placed 69th with 307 strokes, and Alessandra Donati finished 75th with 355 strokes.
Behind the top two finishers were Canadian Chris Willis in third place with 222 strokes, and Australians Wayne Perske and Lachlan Wood tied for fourth place with 223 strokes. Immediately following were two English players, Mike Browne in sixth place with 224 strokes, and Thomas Blizzard in seventh place with 225 strokes.
In the category standings, Donati secured the top spot in the ST1 (women) category, Ceola placed 27th in the ST2 category, and Perrino finished fifth and Palestro finished 20th in the ST3 category. The G4D Tour, initiated by the DP World Tour, aims to highlight the inclusivity of golf, a sport open to all.
This year, several important changes were introduced, including the inclusion of players from the NET category of the WR4GD and female participation in every event. At Woburn Golf Club, “Workshop The G4D Open” sessions were held to discuss how to improve the game for golfers with disabilities and expand the competitive landscape, along with examining other significant themes.
