Tough Love and Second Chances - EDGA

During a golf session for youngsters at Kenya Railway Golf Club you can hear the shouts of joy as children with a disability play on a golf course for the first time. “Watching the kids sharing something special as they play golf together, it makes everything worthwhile,” says Ann Wangui Irura.  Anita, as friends call her, is an administration assistant at a school for children with special needs in Nairobi called Kenya Community Centre for Learning (KCCL). Eight years ago when trying different sports to engage with the students, she tried golf and realised the game could help them to focus on a task and see personal improvement. Something clicked.  Today, Anita is the founder of the community venture Golden Tee Inclusive Golf, bringing the game to disadvantaged youngsters with a disability, changing lives through the power of golf.  Enjoy Anita's story with EDGA here. 

Stacey Johnston-Gleason lives practically on the first tee box of the Mission Mountain Golf Course, a flat sweep of green nestled against the rugged peaks of western Montana. To some, living on ‘Hole One' might sound like a flippant remark, but to Stacey, it's something more—a way of being, a kind of metaphor for how she's tackled life: one shot, one challenge at a time. Her connection to the Special Olympics runs deep. Born with fetal alcohol syndrome and adopted later in life, she found her family through the community that had already given her so much. Golf is not just a game to Stacey. It's a lifeline, a thread of connection, not only to the fairways and greens but to something bigger.  Discover Stacey's story with EDGA today. 

“When I was a little boy the doctors told my family that I wouldn't be able to walk, run, bike or swim, and would spend the rest of my life in a wheelchair.” Fast forward 20 years and Guy Harrison, 23, from New Zealand, was preparing to play on the G4D Tour in Spain; playing with some confidence after working hard on his game and competing to a high standard – off his 8.3 golf handicap – propelling himself up the Net World Ranking for Golfers with Disability.  Guy, who has cerebral palsy, says today: “Golf is my true love – getting out on the course with mates, seeing new places. It was a massive benefit to start golf at a young age so I can enjoy progress in the game. “With the support of my parents we proved the doctors wrong and kept me out of the wheelchair using golf a lot to help me. I started my golf at five years-old going out a couple of times a week with my Dad to a local nine-hole public golf course and it just went from there.”      Follow Guy's story in golf today with EDGA. 

Riccardo Bianciardi is a strong advertisement for all the good in Italian golf as he says hello to us in his smart azure blue Italian shirt bearing his national badge, and greeting us with a wide smile.  For some time now, golf has been a salvation for him, helping him engage with life following the neurological condition he was born with but also as a balm for recent struggles. In October 2018, Riccardo had a kidney transplant that wasn't successful. He therefore had to start kidney dialysis, and looking for distraction after five months in recovery he took part in his first EDGA event, the Italian Open which, remarkably, he won!  Fate would play its hand again in 2022. Riccardo had a second kidney transplant, which this time went well, and nine months later he won the EDGA Giovanni Nasi International, also in Italy. To be able to get himself well and record such a feat is surely amazing and a mark of the man. This is an interesting story from one of the most generous golfers out there. Enjoy Riccardo's story here with EDGA. 

Natasha Stasiuk finds her inner calm through golf.  This friendly 26-year-old from Oakville, Ontario, clearly loves the game. When considering her own improving performances, winning tournaments and helping to fly the flag for Canada, she will agree this is partly due to a lot of hard work and support, but success for her also means the joy she feels in playing on a golf course, looking for the perfect swing; all an antidote to the anxieties of life.   Living with Autism for Natasha includes also managing an auditory processing condition. She tells us: “Playing golf is where I feel free and don't feel judged. It's my happy place. It's where I feel most confident in life.” At 26, Natasha is becoming more used to the pressure of the first tee, more experienced in gathering her strength for the challenge ahead, while not forgetting the challenges of the past. Discover Natasha's story with EDGA today. 

Imagine playing some great golf aged 87, having given up the game once aged 75 because you had gone blind. From losing his sight in his seventies to enjoying golf again with the help of his guide, the story of Danny Daniels is remarkable.  At first his age-related sight loss threatened to beat Danny, but his wife of nearly 60 years, Diana, wouldn't let him give up and turn his back on the game he loved.  Instead, Diana volunteered to become Danny's guide out on the golf course (learning about the game gradually). Today Danny and Diana are a perfect example of how both a player with a visual impairment and a supportive guide can flourish together.  Read or listen to their story with EDGA today.

René Schwenk, a native of Pforzheim in South West Germany, embodies the spirit of perseverance and dedication that defines a true athlete. René shares, “Why do I love golf? Because it's a sport in which you're never going to be perfect, so you always have to work on yourself. Sometimes it's really challenging, but it brings you a lot of joy, working on yourself and reaching small goals.” Despite the physical and mental tests René has faced as a young man, his resilience helped him adjust to playing the game again and today he is playing some of his best golf.  “It's so important to have goals, you know, and to set yourself goals and to work towards them,” says René. “That's what this kind of G4D gave me back.”  Enjoy René's story here with EDGA.

“They pulled me out of darkness and made me walk to the light of the world. They always encouraged my challenge,” said Simon Seungmin Lee, from the Republic of Korea. The then 25-year-old spoke these words in 2022 when thanking his parents after his victory in the inaugural U.S. Adaptive Open (a tournament he has subsequently nearly won on two further occasions, including July, 2024).  Many of us can only imagine what it is like to work so hard in order to compete in high level golf, let alone hole the putts that win the trophy. And the first people Simon thanked were his parents.  To win, Simon, who is autistic, had to conquer the pressure of the big tournament which took place on the hallowed Pinehurst Resort Course No. 6. This is a remarkable young golfer, with a remarkable story we can share with you now on our latest EDGA Podcast.

Casper Holst-Christensen, hailing from Denmark, attributes his deep-rooted passion for golf to his father, Jon. “My love of golf stems from my Dad,” Casper reflects fondly. “I think he actually bought me and my brother clubs back when we were four or five years old.”  Living with ASD, or to give its full name, Autism Spectrum Disorder, Casper experiences the world uniquely. “For me, I'm very impaired in my hearing, so I don't really have any sense of filter. I hear every single thing going on around me all the time.”  Casper has trained himself over the years to maintain balance in golf and life. “That's why I love golf nowadays. It's the constant mental battle on the course every time I play. It doesn't matter if I play Sunday rounds with my Dad or in big tournaments, it's the same feeling, it's the same battle.”  Enjoy Casper's story with EDGA here. 

In professional tour golf at the very highest level, Ken Green has played with the very finest, and beaten them. He will tell you why the “extreme highs and lows” of golf are both equally necessary to feed the soul, and that his love of the game has helped many times in shoring him up through many troubled days and family tragedy. During the 1980s, this five-time US PGA Tour winner and Ryder Cup player competed against the likes of Jack Nicklaus, Tom Watson, Greg Norman, Nick Faldo and Seve Ballesteros.  In 2024, Ken plays as a right lower-leg amputee, but he often does so while enduring intense pain due to a chronic nerve injury condition. However, he peppers any interview with references to the joy and love for the game he has today.   A 65-year-old who still competes to shine a light for others on the unique benefits of golf, his sport makes him want to get up in the morning and play again.   Enjoy the latest EDGA Podcast here. 

Ireland's David Quinn always said he would walk again after the car accident in the Wicklow mountains which so nearly killed him.  The significant injuries to his back and right leg left the 21-year-old paralysed for some time; he would take eight months of rehabilitation before he could leave the wheelchair and walk out of the hospital on crutches, but he made it. His reward now is he can smell the cut grass on a beautiful golf course every day.  David loves golf and regularly plays EDGA tournaments. Fortunately, his hell-for-leather days as a champion motorcyclist gave him an appreciation of engines that would lead to his dream job working at the fine golf course at Powerscourt GC.  Enjoy David's remarkable story here. 

In this edition of the EDGA Podcast we feature Michelle Lau, an English golfer who this January made her debut on the G4D Tour, the pinnacle of golf for the disabled (G4D), in the United Arab Emirates.  This was a remarkable achievement for someone who only in May last year, when preparing for her first competitive G4D event, was fearing she would not ‘fit in' with her non-visible disability. Thankfully Michelle, who has Autism and ADHD, stuck to her task and received a warm welcome from her fellow players. As a golfer, she is now shining a light on just what is possible for others with related conditions. A great role model, a unique story, and a pretty decent golf swing. Enjoy Michelle's story here.  

In this edition of the EDGA Podcast we write about Italian golfer Luisa Ceola. We featured Luisa a few years back when she was making her way in golf for the disabled after serious health struggles. But we had to chat to Luisa again, as added to her lasting love of the game, a focused competitive streak led to her winning the Italian Open in 2023 and then qualifying for the first ever ‘Net' tournament presented by the international G4D Tour, held in the United Arab Emirates recently.  A deserved honour, and a great achievement for the player from Padova, near Venice. Luisa says: “I can't think of my life without golf. It is for this reason that I am very happy to talk about how good golf is for me because I hope that more people will become players and have these fantastic opportunities.” Enjoy Luisa's story with EDGA now. 

Ryanne Jackson lives in St Petersburg in Florida and loves golf. The 26-year-old is a current US national golf champion. Right from insisting to her family as a six-year-old that she was a left-handed player (even though she was right-handed in everything else), Ryanne has backed her own judgement.   This trust in herself helps Ryanne in dealing with her condition, muscular dystrophy. Although she can't play as often as she would like to because she needs good rest, Ryanne practises and plays ‘smart' (ie, thoughtfully), and has found a healthy mindset for playing her best golf.  In school her condition went undetected and classmates accused her of being lazy on the basketball court. With the help of her family, Ryanne would prove many people wrong, gain a golf scholarship to university and qualify for the most prestigious G4D (golf for the disabled) tournaments.  Follow Ryanne's remarkable story here. 

Lachlan Wood does not do things by halves, good or bad: “I can be a little bit obsessive,” says the 32 year-old Australian. He could be accused of that in a negative way when he threw away all the hard hours of becoming a fine golfer in his early twenties, at a point where he hated the game.    To be fair Lachlan, or Lachie to his mates, faced mitigating circumstances in battling a traumatic injury and its aftermath caused by a car crash. But obsessive behaviour can also help some people to survive. Ten years on from quitting golf Lachlan had practised, played and practised hard again, and there he was in December 2023 winning a major international tournament – the Australian All Abilities Championship; and on that day he would have gladly carried on playing and playing, hole after hole. Even after earning the victory he didn't want it to end, such was the joy he was feeling through golf again. Lachlan's comeback is incredible because it has been so hard fought, and you can experience his story here. 

In 1999, Frank Sorber lost his left leg after a motor accident. Four months later he drove a car 1,200km around Ireland. The 62 year-old long time student of the Japanese martial art of Aikido has a mindset of living in the present, enjoying seeking what is here now. And he seems to like what he finds. Frank had been a non-golfer, but eight years after the accident he went to lunch one day at a restaurant on a golf course. There, he saw on the wall in front of him a large photograph of an older man, a golfer, playing what looked like a great shot out of a bunker. This man had the one leg, like Frank had one leg. His mind started working. Enjoy Frank's story with EDGA here.

It was a treat for our latest EDGA podcast to meet Norwegian golfer Mette Havnaas.  Mette hears when she plays a good shot, she doesn't see it. ‘Top notch' is how she describes the sound when a putt has fallen to the bottom of the cup.  It takes courage for someone who has lost their sight as an adult to learn a completely new sport as Mette has done, and then to travel to different European venues to play in tournaments.  Central to her giving this interview Mette wanted to make other people with visual impairment aware that golf can be a game for them. At ‘G4D' (golf for the disabled) events and ‘regular' competitions, Mette is now a standard bearer in this area. We said hello to Mette, and her guide/companion on the course and husband, Birger, on the Algarve in Portugal when she was playing in the second of her first two EDGA tournaments outside of her home country. Enjoy Mette's fascinating story here. 

“I lost a leg, others have lost legs and arms, it's not the end of the world,” Robin Singh explains. “I had an accident in 1991 and had the amputation carried out in 1992, and I never looked back. That's life. If you are confident in what you're doing, nothing is going to stop you.” Fast forward to January 2024, and Robin ‘Rambo' Singh was able to feel the intense satisfaction of competitive honours when he lifted up the handsome trophy at the end of the G4D Tour @ Ras Al Khaimah Championship, in the heat of the United Arab Emirates.  Taking this title – the G4D Tour being at the pinnacle of golf for the disabled (‘G4D') – was a special victory for the South African.  Today Robin is 66 years-old. As a boy he fell in love with golf, and worked as a caddie to learn the layers of the game. In 1991, the game that drove him on and which he could play so well, was snatched away in a car accident. The sport then lost Robin for a decade and only a chance meeting in a supermarket with a fellow injured player would bring him back.  It has been quite the comeback. Enjoy Robin's story with EDGA today. 

A genial and friendly white-haired Spaniard, Carlos Álvarez Rodero has the look perhaps of a typical golf traveller when we meet him in Portugal. However, though his story of how he arrived in golf is far from typical, what is possibly less surprising is how much the game has given this man who overcame severe injury and trauma. A keen motorcyclist, when he was 32 years-old and heading to work he collided head-on with a car. The damage was severe.  Carlos's life changed again in a highly positive way when he discovered golf.   He tells us: “I discovered something that has excited me and offered me great personal growth, giving me huge confidence in myself, boosting my wellbeing and self-worth, while meeting a fine group of people who helped me by sharing their experiences.  “It is important we all try to encourage more individuals with a disability to try this fantastic game.” Enjoy Carlos's story with EDGA today. 

Swedish golfer Gustav Stigsson-Andersson, 18, says: “I think golf is the best thing ever, mostly mentally as it is so much fun. I strive to be a role model for golfers, not only for golfers with disability but also juniors at my club.”  Gustav had followed his Dad to the golf range aged 13, thinking it might be fun. “I had my left arm amputated below my elbow. I usually describe it as: ‘I don't have a left hand',” he explains to youngsters at Karlstad GC.  With a handicap near scratch and impressing at the EGA European Championship 2023, he was chosen for the Sweden team, inspired by teammates, G4D Tour winners Rasmus Lia and Johan Kammerstad. Of the G4D Tour he says: “It would mean the world to me, competing against the game's best players.” Discover more about Gustav's remarkable rise in golf here with EDGA. 

Belgian golfer Liliane Cambré smiles and chats with her fellow golfers on the clubhouse terrace. Her relaxed politeness belies at first the adventurous spirit that has long been within her, and perhaps more lately the courage she has had to draw upon. The other G4D (golf for the disabled) players at Vila Sol for the EDGA Algarve Open clearly respect her and enjoy talking to Liliane. She tells us: “We must always enjoy it, that's what we are here for.”    At these EDGA events Liliane says she is always impressed by the players and their will to perform well on the course but also have a great time together after the round. This also serves to remind her that the serious accident with the truck in 2017 could have been so much worse for her. “The spirit here, it gives you energy,” says Liliane. “Meeting up in something we all love.” Enjoy Liliane's story with EDGA here. 

“Positivity is my gasoline,” says Finnish golfer Timo Pessi.  This high octane energy he is only too happy to share with both his friends and the new players he embraces in G4D (golf for the disabled). After a motorcycle accident 17 years ago, Timo balances the tough times with an infectious live-for-the-moment attitude, which is particularly in evidence when enjoying one of the loves of his life, golf.  Timo estimates he has played in around 50 international G4D events over the last decade. Meanwhile, at his home golf club, KanavaGolf in Vääksy, southern Finland, he has organised six golf camps for golfers with brain injuries/conditions in recent years. Timo is one of those rare people who whenever they smile at you it lifts your spirits. “The accident happened and you can't reload that,” he explains. “Life is too short for negativity and if you stay positive the people around you will be too. Life is much better that way.”  Enjoy Timo's story here today. 

Phil Meadows is a golfer who, aged 53, is still improving.  Thinking closely about golf, and what it has given him, are part of what makes him tick. A motor scooter accident when he was 17 put him in a wheelchair. More than 30 years on, golf is now a consuming activity he would recommend to anyone.  Phil says: “Golf is massive in my life. It's about getting out there, meeting new people, making new friends, competing, and hopefully coming out with a win. I absolutely love it.” The ‘challenge against the self' that golf offers resonates with Phil. He knows he must work on his game with discipline to improve shot by shot. Golf is a test of technique, rhythm and timing, Phil says, but also precision and concentration.   “We can't get it right every time in golf, we're only human, aren't we?” he smiles. “We can't be a machine every single shot, but you try your best.”

A successful student requires a thirst to learn, clarity of thought, an even temperament, and plenty of patience. And perhaps a little resilience. If this summary is correct, then Italian golfer Jacopo Luce fulfils the brief in exemplary fashion. The 29-year-old, who hails from close to Venice, explains his mantra: “Focus, patience, and also never surrender. Never give up.” This is a game of millimetres. Jacopo was born with a disability described as bilateral ‘hemiparesis', a neurological impairment that affects both sides of his body, while he also has a related vision impairment. Some of his movements have to be deliberate to maintain balance and this, along with using his core strength well, are factors he will  remember for every swing. Jacopo is not the first dedicated golfer to understand the frustration of millimetres, nor is he the first G4D player to appreciate the joy golf can bring.  Enjoy the latest EDGA Podcast here today. 

This edition of the EDGA Podcast features Issa Nlareb from Cameroon, a professional golfer who, thanks to a lot of guts and determination, is demonstrating his very fine golf swing once again. In 2018, Issa faced bacterial meningitis that led to sepsis, double leg amputation and severely damaged hands. This August, he savoured the moment of arrival on the first tee at Galgorm Castle Golf Club, County Antrim, for his debut on the G4D Tour. Issa says: “Throughout my life I wanted to write a story of the street child that I was, for the benefit of future youth. Today, through my level of play, I can demonstrate to another person with reduced mobility that they can also achieve, and enjoy life through golf.” Follow Issa's story with EDGA today. 

A young man who loves being out in nature, jumps into a sparkling woodland pool for a swim and breaks his neck as he collides with a rock under the surface of the water.  But life can surprise us. Some 30 years on, Niclas Amundsen is able to revel in the natural splendour all around him. He can walk again, and that he often chooses to do so on a golf course speaks volumes as to how much he values the benefits of the game.  The friendly Norwegian lost a lot of movement in his left side as a result of the accident. He relearned how to play golf, changing from being a right-hander to a ‘leftie'. Today, he delights in being able to breathe in the fresh air on a good golf course. Niclas has a golf club in his hand as he looks along the next fairway to the flag. He is at home. Enjoy Niclas's story in our latest EDGA Podcast here. 

Kim Moore, the Head Women's Golf Coach of West Michigan University, offers a broad smile when talking about golf: this is a person who is passionate about the game, both as an accomplished player herself and professional mentor to new players. We met up with Kim when she was playing in the inaugural ‘G4D Open' (golf for the disabled) at Woburn, England, which is linked directly to The Open itself. Kim would win this landmark tournament and lift the trophy to deserved international acclaim.  Leg amputee Moore has a message for all her university students: that good work and enjoying the game brings the reward. Kim said: “Golf is a game in which you get out what you put into it. If you work hard, have a great growth mindset, and are purposeful in your preparation, you will succeed. Stay positive, stay patient… have fun!”   Coach Kim's positive mindset is also helping many other golfers with a disability to start in golf and reach their potential in the game.  Enjoy the latest EDGA Podcast and Kim's story here.   

Declan Burns grew up in Derry, Northern Ireland, in a close family who loved the game of golf. Declan, a talented guitarist, went on to work in London in the music industry but not long before his 30th birthday he had a horrific motorbike accident.  With the help of his family his resilience then kicked in, fighting for small gains through the slow recovery, all testament to Declan's tough inner core; never giving up.  That the game of golf, and the family memories of watching all the great players on TV in Derry, have all played a central role in helping Declan physically and with his wellbeing, is proof positive of the wonderful things that this sport offers to us all.  Enjoy Declan's story today with EDGA. 

In this edition of the EDGA podcast, we interview Norwegian golfer Paal Angerman. In 2018, Paal was a good golfer, enjoying life with his family, when he suffered damage to the brain caused by an infection. While the illness affected Paal's balance, strength and concentration, golf offered a great way of rebuilding his confidence through pushing himself physically and mentally.  The 54 year-old can today play to a 12.7 handicap and is looking forward to his second visit to the RSM European Net & Stableford Play-offs in England in September.  Paal says: “I feel lucky that I have golf, especially now that my life has gone in a different direction than I expected. The results are not the most important thing, but a few birdies certainly feel good! Golf is a lifeline and I love the game and I would recommend it to everyone.” Enjoy Paal's story now with EDGA. 

In his work as a travel rep and tour guide, helping holidaying customers to find the best bars and restaurants, Matthew Jones would often be driving past golf courses but never gave them a thought. And if Covid-19 hadn't ripped the heart out of the tourism business in 2020, Matt may still be out there somewhere in Spain, Ibiza or elsewhere in the Med.  However, Matt's adventures in sunny climes and his passion for golf, are certainly linked, because both boosted his feelings of positivity – an impressive mindset which he exhibits as a new player. In June, Matt, who is of short stature, won the Stableford category of The PING Open on the EDGA schedule.  Matt says: “You would be surprised how good it feels just to be out in the fresh air, focusing on a little white ball; it silences everything else out that's going on in the world. If you can find a way to give it a go, you will enjoy the game, you will get to meet new people and it will open up a whole new world for you.” Enjoy discovering the story of Matthew Jones here. 

In this edition of the EDGA Podcast we learn that Australian Julia Bowen's first days out in Sydney after three months in hospital, following a bad motorbike crash, were very difficult.  “It was a scary thing for me because I've always been this big tough, get-out-there, take on the world type of person. And to feel scared just because there are all these people around me, it's like, ‘Wow, what the hell's happening to me?' That was a big wake-up call.”  The problems faced by serious injury and a long period of rehab can affect people in different ways. Thankfully, 27 years on, and that smiling, ‘take on the world' character has more than recovered her steel. At 60, Julia is playing some wonderful golf after taking up the sport in 2002. She loves golf, and says that she would recommend it – without missing a heartbeat – to anyone who has been injured or is impaired. Enjoy Julia's golfing story with EDGA here. 

In this edition of the EDGA podcast we meet Patrick Rosenast, a Swiss golfer who fought back with his capacity to see a glass half-full. A remarkable man with some remarkable friends… making a winning combination.  Patrick will tell you he is fortunate to have emerged from a couple of dark places and he is in no doubt of the part that his wife Rovena, his kids, family and friends played in supporting him. It was just in late 2020 that brain surgery led to haemorrhage and the symptoms of stroke, and ironically part of the reason he is now upright, walking, breathing and smiling, is due to his wife's hobby, golf – which he initially resisted – that had a huge part to play in his rehabilitation.  “I would not be the Patrick of today without golf, definitely not. It is a lifesaver that has allowed me, a little damaged yes, to play one-handed… Golf is everything.” Enjoy Patrick's story here with EDGA today.

In our latest EDGA player profile we talk to a remarkable golfer called Rob Walden. “Seven years ago, I would have never dreamed this would be happening, I was in a dark place,” said Rob, a scratch golfer who lives near Phoenix, Arizona. “I had always loved golf but I wouldn't be anywhere near where I've got to without the support of my wife Julie and my son Jake after the accident. And golf was so important as part of my rehabilitation. Every time I take a shot today it feels like a hammer to the hand, but I wouldn't swap it for anything.” The 51 year-old from the city of Mesa tells us he has a lot of people to thank, while following his recent debut on the G4D Tour in Singapore, he is finding that a lot of people are also thanking him for being a great ambassador for golf in the US. Rob's presence at that tournament with fellow golfers with a disability helped to demonstrate how golf can offer new competitive horizons for people who have faced injury or illness.   Enjoy our EDGA podcast on Rob Walden.

In this edition of our EDGA Podcast, Sweden's Erika Malmberg helps us to remember that although every individual is different, we can all share a love for playing golf.   The G4D Open at Woburn, England (May 10-12), with its connections to the famed Open Championship itself – was a historic affair. The tournament offered a week of firsts for many of the 80 competitors from 17 countries around the world.  Few present will have done more to spread awareness of the benefits, and also the personal challenges of golf and life, than Erika Malmberg. This bright and erudite 38-year-old from Karlstad in Sweden decided to sacrifice her practice day on the eve of The G4D Open to deliver by invitation a presentation at the official Symposium on G4D (golf for the disabled), running alongside the event at Woburn, attended by assembled delegates from many of the world's golfing nations. Find out more on Erika's story about how autism and ADD affects her, and indeed how golf helps Erika in return, in this podcast – which ends with her taking the very first shot of The G4D Open itself…

This edition of the EDGA profiles reviews The G4D Open at Woburn. It was competed for by 80 men and women with a disability from 17 countries. All types of impairment were represented – playing in nine sport classes in this tournament staged by The R&A in partnership with the DP World Tour, and supported by EDGA. Many EDGA players who did not hit a shot at Woburn have also played a key part of course. These ‘golfers first' have created the seismic shift in ‘G4D' in the last few years: every EDGA player should be proud of their role in making golf a more inclusive sport.  The G4D Open wasn't just about competition but also EDGA's work with partners to grow the game and make it better, and we hope you enjoy this episode. 

In this latest Tough Love & Second Chances podcast, we talk with the volunteer President of EDGA Tony Bennett about exciting progress for ‘G4D' (golf for the disabled) and his personal story that is steeped in the game. EDGA seeks to help any new golfer with a disability to ‘sample' (try), ‘participate' (play on a course) and/or ‘compete' (take your new skill as far as you can in tournaments).  Because of Tony's rich background in the game (he has been a professional player, a PGA coach and development specialist before volunteering for EDGA), he is as well-placed as anyone to give good answers on the ‘why' and ‘how' the game can enhance key aspects of our lives.  “For the individual with a disability, golf can be a fantastic game,” says Tony. “Many of our players who have a serious impairment or medical condition will tell you that golf has made a significant impact in their lives: the exercise, the confidence of learning a new skill, perhaps feeling stronger and making new friends.” Find out more about Tony's love of learning and different ways of thinking in our latest EDGA podcast. 

David Watts, from Durban in South Africa, was born with a condition called Fibular hemimelia where the calf bone in his left leg failed to develop. Three times by the age of 16, complex surgeries to lengthen his leg by a total of 23cm would each need a year or so of painful treatment and rehabilitation, sidelining him from school lessons and playing sport with his friends. Unable to play football or rugby, as a 10-year-old David became a golfer, and a very good one. “Over the years, you put a lot into it. Sometimes it's hard, but it always gives back, if you stick with it. It's a huge part of my life, has been for a long time, and I'm sure it will be for the rest of my life.” Twenty-five years after starting, in February David won the G4D Tour @ Singapore Classic in fine style. Enjoy his story today. 

“I live, breathe, and crawl out of bed to be able to play golf.” Words that show, for those who endure long-term injuries and conditions, that golf can be a vital part of your future.  Spoken by Fiona Gray from Northern Ireland, they resonate for 2023, after the latest surgery on her left knee (her 10th). Fiona is the Junior Convenor at St Patrick's Golf Club in County Down, offering a weekly welcome to 70 boys and girls as they all learn the game together. This is also the year where she is honoured to be the club's Lady Captain.  Fiona says that after years of difficult injuries, golf is fantastic for her mental health. “Getting some fresh air, getting out there and being able to smell the air and feel things, feel that club. It's feeling, isn't it? So just to be in a comfortable environment and meet new people, and have some fun.” Enjoy Fiona's full story with EDGA today.

There is a golf ball that sits in a glass cabinet in the museum of the United States Golf Association at Liberty Corner in New Jersey, donated by Jeremy Bittner. This ball could be seen as an emblem of a remarkable year for Bittner in 2022, the amputee golfer used it to record the first hole-in-one in the inaugural US Adaptive Open, made at Pinehurst Number 6. This was just one shot in a blaze of fine shots. The man from Pittsburgh climbed from 170th place in the World Ranking for Golfers with Disability to number 11, and qualified to play on the G4D Tour this January. Jeremy lost his lower left leg in a lawnmower accident when he was four years old. Despite this difficult start in life, encouraged by his father and always included by his young friends, he emerged as a sporty and energetic youngster. Dad got him into golf: in his early teens he joined the high school golf team and he has never looked back. Enjoy listening to Jeremy's unique story today.

In this episode we catch up with Alessandra Donati, whose love of golf has helped her deal much better with her condition Charcot-Marie-Tooth (CMT), a progressive neuropathy disease. Every year life can become more challenging but at this time her passion for golf only increases, the sport helping her physically and mentally. Rather than her own game, Alessandra, or Ale (pronounced “Aleee”) is keen instead to talk about helping more people with a disability to try golf; to enjoy the nature, the friendship and the great feeling that golf can offer us all. For these reasons, she has in recent times volunteered as an ‘EDGA Advocate', promoting the game to new players in Ale's international region, a role which has inspired her. More good news: after working hard for a bank for 30 years, reaching the position of senior credit analyst, Ale retired last September. At last she can enjoy some great time off, relaxing, practising and playing more golf, including some travel adventures also. Alessandra wrote to us recently: “The doctors diagnosed me with a rare disease, for which there is no cure. But I know they were wrong: I found the cure and it's called Golf.” Enjoy listening to Ale's story now.

In 2017, Dylan Baines was involved in a car accident in south Wales which could easily have killed him. He would wake up in hospital with a broken neck, paralysed, to be told by a doctor it was unlikely he would walk again. He was 22 at the time. The rehabilitation has been slow but also careful. Just under five years later it was remarkable to be talking to Dylan in the sunshine of Portugal for the last EDGA Tour golf event of 2022; with Welshman Dylan Baines the popular winner in the Net category, applauded by new friends among 80 players from 15 countries. From lying on his back paralysed for six weeks, to shooting a Net 71 to secure an EDGA trophy, Dylan's story is about, resilience, faith, friends and family, and the joy of golf.

Nick Carroll, from Western Australia, loves golf. A player who really cares about their sport tends to have certain qualities. Simply feeling respect for the game is an important one; striving to improve and be the best golfer you can be – well that's worth playing the game for in itself. Similarly, a genuine desire to help others to enjoy golf should also earn you a lucky bounce or two on the fairways. Nick Carroll certainly makes the cut in all of the above. He lives with the condition of autism and this can get in the way for him at times. But his progress in playing golf, and his job working in golf, both say a lot about how he views the game, while at the same time perhaps reflecting what his friends and supporters think about Nick. His advice to others underlines it all: “Making new friends, enjoyment, and having a really good time playing the sport you will always love… I would say go out there, enjoy the experience… And anyone can help you out there. Don't be frightened to go out and play.” Enjoy Nick's story with EDGA today.

This EDGA Profile is a little different as though it features one of our golfers, Rasmus Lia, we are delighted to talk with his father, Trond Lia, who is a very proud Dad and for a good reason. It was an exciting trip when Trond travelled with his son Rasmus from their home in Sweden to Dubai, in November 2022. 21-year-old Rasmus had qualified for the season-ending G4D Tour Series Finale @ DP World Tour Championship. This was a dream for Rasmus very much hard-earned. The young man had recovered from a serious skiing accident as a youngster and put in so many hours of golf practice at their home in Dalarna, often when the snow had been falling outside. In Dubai, Rasmus – who played in his first EDGA event back in 2017 at the age of 16 – would shoot an excellent 72 on the final day to win the title by four shots. Listen to this remarkable story, all told to us by his super-supportive Dad, Trond Lia.

Darren Grey's passion in learning the technique of the golf swing has led to him not only becoming a very good player in his own right but, all being well, he is soon to fully qualify as a PGA Professional and therefore able to share his joy of coaching the game with others. Born without a lower left arm, this genial 37-year-old from Darlington in the North East of England always loves talking technique, and loves seeing the faces of those he coaches light up with pleasure when they hit a good shot. Darren himself had to put in a great many hours of practice to swing the golf club as well he does, and you sense his customers will see his golfing knowledge as hard-won, and therefore worth listening to. When Darren helps a client to make progress in their game, he describes their smile of recognition as “the wow factor”. This can be exciting but another key tenet of his coaching is about getting the client to accept, and embrace, that you don't improve overnight. The path ahead is long but can be hugely satisfying for both the client and the coach. However, it is always wonderful to see the ‘wow factor' whenever it happens.

Acquired wisdom shows us that we can earn a “bagful of things” to improve life, and for some, golf can play a leading role. You would be forgiven for thinking that the hand condition Fabrizio Gardiol was born with could be a major problem for him growing up in the 1960s, perhaps creating a lack of confidence during his school days, but in fact it might be one of the reasons behind his personal achievements over the years. The condition seems to have influenced how Fabrizio grew into his life as a boy supported by his family, and he certainly believes it plays a role in how he aims to be a positive influence on his own two sons today. Yes, there are obstacles in all our lives, he says, but these can be overcome to find success. Fabrizio believes golf can be a mirror to how we seek to improve our lives and how we conduct ourselves with others. “Face the challenge”, says this man who also loves cycling, motorbikes and rock climbing out in the wild, and you might just surprise yourself in the process.

Inclusive golf? “Let's spread the waves, let's move those barriers,” says Ireland's Tom Doherty. Talking with Tom, it is clear he understands that the camaraderie and togetherness that can be found at an inclusive golf event can create a great sense of community for those taking part. This man from Killarney ­­– which is a fine tourist town in beautiful Kerry in Ireland's south, where the locals are much more likely to say, ‘how are you?' than ‘who are you?' – is passionate about community. And, just recently, in 2022, after the Covid couple of years, he has begun to find himself on a mission to spread the vibe about how golf can help others, including those with a disability; physically, mentally, and socially. You just need to remove the barriers, he says, and welcome new golfers with some sincerity. Doherty has seen that Ireland as a nation is taking progressive strides to make the game more inclusive; this year he believes a little personal mission of his own can be perhaps something of a companion piece, on a local level in the Kerry region.

“Life is 10 per cent what happens to you, and 90 per cent what you make it.” This is the mindset of Australian Ben Tullipan, who adds: “If you believe in yourself, you can achieve anything.” Late in the evening of the 12th October 2002, a then 27-year-old Ben Tullipan was a young businessman importing furniture from Bali, Indonesia, for his homewares shop on the Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia. Ben had always seen himself as a ‘people person'. He liked to get to know the folk around him and enjoyed chatting to anyone and everyone. His friends knew him as a very positive, happy-go-lucky guy… these aspects of his personality may well have saved his life in the days, weeks, months and years following the Bali Bombings of 2002. Ben Tullipan walked into the Sari Club in the tourist district of Kuta, to buy a bottle of water moments before a one-tonne car bomb exploded in a parked van nearby (it was the largest of the three bombs that night) – the blasts killing 202 people (including 88 fellow Australians) and injuring 209. Ben says that while he would get a second chance at life; a great many other people did not.

Jeroen Coumou is a Dutchman living in Rotterdam. When we interviewed him to ask what golf means to him, his warm and approachable personality was immediately apparent, as was a thoughtfulness and calm authority. Clearly, at ease in being honest and open with strangers, he will at the same time fix you in the eye as he speaks and listens, learning a little about you in return. He has the characteristics which you would hope for among the best in his profession. He is a teacher. Jeroen tells us that losing his left leg at 17 led, indirectly, to a fantastic career he wouldn't change for the world – guiding young people forwards. He is a history teacher always looking forward for his students. And at the end of a tough week teaching his classes, he says he changes one stressful situation for another. He goes to play golf. He is joking of course, something which comes to him easily on the golf course.

Juan Postigo Arce has become one of the most recognisable faces among golfers with a disability anywhere in the world, and is much admired for the way he plays the game and the positive message he conveys: that golf can be for everyone. The low-scoring Spaniard certainly deserves the acclaim in which he is held. At the time of writing, he stands at number 3 in the World Ranking for Golfers with Disability (WR4GD), where after being one of the stand-out EDGA players of recent years, he came back from injuries to win, among others, the 2021 Madrid Disabled Open and the 2021 European Championship for Golfers with Disability (European Golf Association); this for the third successive time. In September 2022, the 26-year-old from near Santander in northern Spain was rewarded by qualifying for the G4D @ BMW PGA Championship, staged by the DP World Tour, at Wentworth, competing on the same course in the same week as Rory McIlroy, John Rahm and many of golf's top professionals. Juan told us he was “very proud” to represent Spain on this world stage. Spectators at the BMW PGA Championship will have seen a remarkable golfer in action. Unlike many other EDGA amputee players, Juan Postigo eschews the use of a prosthetic for his right leg. It has long-been second nature to use his crutches in both life, and on the golf course. These assist him as he walks purposefully up to his golf ball on the tee – at the last moment dropping down the crutches to make his stance, on his left leg, before powering another shot away down the fairway with a balletic balance. Look even more closely at his swing and one will realise just how much his left foot absorbs all the pressure of his body movement throughout, the muscles flexing with intensity, strong like a lion's paw; the fulcrum of perhaps one of the most effective swings in golf. More and more golf watchers are appreciating this, as is Juan's work in helping to grow the game being appreciated. Add to this his always generous smile and kindness to those he meets through the sport, and you understand his popularity. Cut to the 150th Open Championship at St Andrews and on the Monday practice day, The R&A hosted the ‘Celebration of Champions', a four-hole team match taking place on the first, second, 17th and 18th holes on the Old Course. Several thousand fans cheered the likes of Tom Watson, Tiger Woods, Gary Player, Georgia Hall, Nick Faldo and more, but they also applauded an invited international quartet of EDGA golfers with a disability. And from the world's most famous golf course, Juan and his fellow EDGA players helped shine the spotlight on just how inclusive golf can be, as this celebration of the sport was broadcast around the world. This was not the first time that Juan had been generous in helping EDGA and promoting golf for the disabled. In 2019, he was one of three EDGA golfers invited to play in the pro-am of the British Masters at Hillside, courtesy of the DP World Tour. Here, he met and spoke with spectators with a disability attending the event, while he and fellow player Caroline Mohr also took a trip to the Northwest Regional Spinal Injuries Centre in Southport, where they were able to encourage a group of patients to enjoy some first hits at golf, and learn more about the benefits of trying golf for themselves. Juan Postigo's philosophy is simple: “Golf and life are quite similar. Accept yourself as you are… I have never had any issue with feeling or being different.” This small update on Juan offers a glimpse of the man behind the smile and the elegant golf swing. If you would like to learn more, including Juan following in the trail of his local hero Seve Ballesteros, read and listen to our feature profile recorded in 2019. Simply click on https://bit.ly/305z8lt

Bradley Smith says, "golf, for me, is just happiness”. There is no sense of naivety on the part of the 27-year-old father of two from Norfolk when he tells us this, and he has every reason for taking all the joy he can from the game. He will also look across the table and fix you with a firm gaze. “Any golf day is a good one,” he reasons, “because you're still on this side of the ground”. The line could be from a Hemingway novel, and Bradley, or Brad to his friends, looks every inch a hero from such pages. Youthfully handsome, resolute, straight-backed like a Captain inspecting the lines; a man who has been in a battle (a look only slightly undone by the blue-tinted sunglasses he takes on and off on this sunny day).

Normally a relaxed, chatty character, Oliver Hirst-Greenham appeared distinctly nervous as he entered the clubhouse at Thonock Park Golf Club, Lincolnshire, for his first EDGA tournament back in June. The PING Open for Golfers with a Disability was certainly all new territory for him. Oliver's disability isn't that noticeable, and he had been worrying about this: would he look like he was an intruder? Was there anyone else like him in the tournament? Would he fit in with the other players? This was the first day at a whole new school. Later in the day after his practice round, Oliver looked a completely different person, like all his questions had been answered. His smile was beaming, and there was a sparkle in his eyes; he'd been made to feel welcome during the practice round by his two playing partners, the first a leg amputee, the other a one-armed player, and he was busy buying them a well-deserved post-round beer amid plenty of chatter.