EDGA agreed to a new three-year strategic relationship for it to become the R&A’s service provider in the area of golf for the disabled, or G4D.
Announced to coincide with last week’s inaugural G4D Open at Woburn, the new partnership will see EDGA provide expert advice, guidance and resources to the R&A and its affiliated national federations across the world, putting in place structures and programmes to increase the number of golfers with disabilities.
The partnership, which represents a significant increase in the R&A’s funding to EDGA until the end of 2025, will allow EDGA’s eight-stage pathway to reach more countries.
Aligned to the player pathway, the eight stages build industry capacity to support samplers, participants, and competitors. It aims to encourage more individuals with disabilities to try the sport, resulting in more golfers with disabilities and ultimately more events for golfers with disabilities and boost the number of players on the World Ranking for Golfers with Disability (WR4GD).
The agreement also includes EDGA support to the R&A for services at its professional championships – the Open, the AIG Women's Open and the Senior Open presented by Rolex – as well as its leading amateur championships.
“We are delighted to agree a new service provider agreement with the R&A,” EDGA president Tony Bennett said. “We will utilise our assets for the benefit of the sport around the world, including our eight-stage pathway, research, programme design, and player and coaching pathways, to ensure we continue to grow the sport for golfers with disabilities.”
Kevin Barker, the director of golf development at the R&A, added: “With the inaugural G4D Open taking place last week, our new service-provider agreement with EDGA continues the positive perception of golf. Working with EDGA, we are dedicated to ensuring that golfers with disabilities are integrated into the fabric of the sport through golf’s leading bodies and national federations worldwide.”
The establishment of the G4D Open follows on from the inclusion of the Modified Rules of Golf for Players with Disabilities into the Rules of Golf from the start of this year and the R&A and USGA’s on-going administration of the WR4GD.
The G4D Open was staged in partnership between the R&A and the DP World Tour and supported by EDGA, formerly the European Disabled Golf Association. It is golf’s most inclusive event according to the WR4GD and has players of all ages, males and females, amateurs and professionals, with handicaps ranging from plus-4.7 to 35.9.
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