Disability golf’s world number one Brendan Lawlor says there is “no reason” why golf cannot be played at the Paralympics and is pushing to get the sport included in the schedule.
Golf was was readmitted to the Olympics at Rio 2016, after a 112-year absence.
“With golf in the Olympics I thought it would be in the Paralympics,” he said.
The International Paralympic Committee said Para-golf did apply for Paris 2024 but “was not fully compliant with the set of requirements for inclusion”.
Ireland’s Lawlor, who in 2019 became the first disability golfer to play in a European Challenge Tour event, says his national Paralympics association is behind him and he now wants to “pick the brains of a few important people” at the International Paralympics Committee (IPC).
“I think the reason why golf is not in the Paralympics is because they think they have to give out many different categories of medal and that’s just not the case,” said the 24-year-old.
“On the European Tour the best disability players, men and women, compete for one prize. That’s what we’re trying to bring to the board, to show that there’s probably 30 or 40 players that could compete at the Paralympics, for three medals.”
Lawlor, who has Ellis-van Creveld syndrome, a bone growth disorder that leads to shorter limbs, competes against players “with many different disabilities, including cerebral palsy, amputees, others of shorter stature”.
“We are all in one bunch and it doesn’t matter what your disability is, we can all play together. Look at Bryson DeChambeau, he can hit the ball further off the tee, but other players might be better from closer in, and that’s the same for disability golfers,” he added.
Lawlor rose to the top of the world rankings for golfers with disability with successive victories in Wales and Northern Ireland over the summer – the second of which he hosted with Modest! Golf Management – the organisation founded by former One Direction singer Niall Horan.
And he will be among the top eight players from the EDGA European Tour who will compete in the season-ending Dubai Finale, which will be staged at the European Tour’s DP World Tour Championship at Jumeirah Golf Estates in November.
The R&A took on the organisation of the world rankings this year and Lawlor sees that as another positive step for the development of the game.
“We are trying to show the Paralympics that we can be successful and we’re encouraging amateurs to turn professional so we can create a world tour,” he said.
“I want to have a season of 12 events, four majors and a Ryder Cup-style event and the way disability golf is going we can achieve that. It’s just a matter of putting our ducks in a row.”
