Italian Tommaso Perrino showed the increasing depth in disability golf as he produced stunning form to hold off Irish favourite Brendan Lawlor at the World Invitational’s G4D event.

Beating home hope Lawlor at Galgorm Castle only made Perrino’s first G4D triumph all the more impressive.

“It’s special because it’s the most important tournament for me,” he said.

“Galgorm is my favourite course. Brendan is a friend. He’s the best player on the tour. To win in this country is incredible for me.”

The competition at the Ballymena venue was the latest ‘golf for disabled people’ tournament to be staged in the week of a DP Tour event.

This week’s third ISPS Handa World Invitational again sees men and women teeing it up at Galgorm Castle and nearby Massereene, with women competing in a co-sanctioned LPGA and Ladies European Tour event.

Motorbike crash at aged 17

Perrino admitted that the glorious sunny conditions at Galgorm Castle almost made it seem like he was playing at home in Tuscany, with his brother on the bag and his father also there to witness his victory in county Antrim.

His wife, expecting their second child in November, was also watching online at home as Perrino became the third winner in the four disability events staged by DP European Tour so far in 2022.

Perrino was Italian under-16 boys champion but a motorbike crash a year later resulted in him suffering a near-fatal viral infection.

The virus eventually was contained to a small area of his leg bone, where it remains to this day controlled by medication.

Through it all, Perrino’s love for golf never wavered and he has worked at his local club, the Cosmopolitan Resort, for two decades.

‘I thought my golf was finished’

With coaching his passion, Perrino never imagined he would get back to competitive playing but the opportunity arose in 2019 when it was suggested to him that he should have a crack at the emerging European Disability Golf Association (EDGA) circuit.

“I thought my golf was finished.

“It was brilliant for me because I had the second opportunity in my life to come back to playing golf.”

Pernino’s form in EDGA events saw him – just as Lawlor had months earlier – handed a spot at a full European Tour event in October 2020 when he shot creditable rounds of 75 and 76 at the Italian Open.

While Lawlor was naturally disappointed at not repeating his Galgorm triumph of 12 months ago, he acknowledged that Perrino’s victory was “good for the G4D Tour”.

“He works his ass off. He hits a lot of balls but does it right. Does a lot of work on his game. I’m delighted for him. We need more winners,” added the 25-year-old Dundalk man.

‘Golf has become a full-time job’ – Lawlor

After recent commentary stints for Sky Sports at the JP McManus Pro-Am and Cazoo Open, Lawlor will be back in the booth again this week, but he is already looking forward to the next G4D event which will take place on the week of the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth.

“Golf has become a full-time job,” added the Irishman, who has retained his number spot in disability golf’s world rankings this summer despite not achieving a win.

“Never mind playing it. What’s happening outside it, doing public speaking, getting people into the game, working with charities… it’s a life that none of us ever thought we’d live.

“The industry of golf has so many ways to make a living out of it. It’s really an honour to be doing this.”