The G4D Open | Sport classes explained to ensure fair competition for all

As in previous years of The G4D Open (15-17 May), players are each allocated a Sport Class which is designed to reflect the way that they play golf as a result of their individual impairment/s. 

All of the 80 qualifying players (via the World Ranking for Golfers with Disability) have their designated Sport Class, and will not only compete in the overall championship but also in their respective classes. At the end of this championship there will be nine individual, world-leading Sport Class champions alongside the overall leading male and female winners. The G4D Open therefore ensures that every G4D (golf for the disabled) player can compete in their category for this major international title which will only grow in stature. Two of these champion golfers will be seated players (Sport Classes Sitting 1 and Sitting 2) who typically, but not always, use a powered chair such as a ‘Paragolfer’ to lift them up into the correct supported position to swing the club. Two of the winners will have intellectual impairments, such as autism for example (Intellectual 1 and Intellectual 2); a trio will be from three different ‘Standing’ classes, while classes Visual 1 and Visual 2 will be contested by golfers with a visual impairment.  And because of the Sport Classes, they can justly say they are the best of the best, certainly for this week in golf.

World leading research

EDGA, the acknowledged expert body in G4D, supports The G4D Open which is staged in partnership between The R&A and the DP World Tour. The Sport Classes were created by EDGA after research and collaboration with leading sport, medical and rehabilitation experts from around the world. Eligibility and Training Lead for EDGA, Mark Smith said, “It comes down to fairness for players, which is essential in any successful sporting format. The nine classes were created to give all golfers with a disability the opportunity to play in events in which they can compete on a level playing field. “We wanted to ensure these players have regular access to all the benefits of true competition, something which many non-disabled players take for granted and that their position in the ‘competitive pathway’ is protected.”

Since 2021, EDGA has partnered with Giles Long MBE, a Paralympian gold medalist and inventor of LEXI, to develop illustrative figure icons that can be used by tournament organisers and media to denote players’ eligible impairments at-a-glance. These gender-neutral figures use traffic-light colours to represent areas where coordination, movement or vision are impaired. Green indicates areas that have full function; yellow indicates minor loss of function; orange shows where function is moderately affected; red indicates those areas which have little or no function available for playing golf. Spectators at events featuring the nine Sport Classes can also follow the field to learn more about each player: how a golfer with a visual impairment sets themselves to play for example, or how a golfer hits with one arm, or swings with an above-knee amputation, or plays from a powered chair. For example, Dutch player Richard Kluwen returns as defending champion of The G4D Open's ‘Sitting 2’ Sport Class. Richard has multiple sclerosis and using his Paragolfer he plays off a 14.3 Handicap Index and is a dynamic and resilient player. Given he doesn’t hit the ball 270-300 yards, Richard relies on a high level of skill and focus. Similarly, in Sport Class ‘Visual 2’, Scotland’s Barry McCluskey is a consistent player who through practise, coaching and a strong mental approach believes he has actually improved as a golfer since his sight deteriorated (playing off a 12.3 Handicap Index). Barry can no longer rely on his independence on the fairways (he needs a guide to accompany him), but he remains a highly competitive golfer who aims to be the best in his class at Woburn.

The Sport Classes explained

Sport Class: Intellectual 1 – Players with intellectual impairment and/or Downs Syndrome. Cameron Pollard, 26, from Australia has a Handicap Index of 0.2 and is World Ranked 17 (Gross). Cameron has autism but also Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, a disorder that impacts connective tissues. His autism affects the way he connects with people and interacts with them. He loves practice and competition, and has won multiple Australian state championships, while national titles include the PGA of Australia All Abilities and New Zealand All Abilities Championships. Sport Class: Intellectual 2 – Players with autistic spectrum disorder (ASD). Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a developmental disability caused by differences in the brain. People with ASD often have problems with social communication and interaction, and have different ways of learning. Erika Malmberg from Sweden will tell you about the acute anxiety she can feel on the  1^st tee on any competition day, but she nevertheless faces the challenge; in 2024 winning the women’s category of the RSM European Play-offs in England. Sport Class: Standing 1 – Players with impaired static standing balance with multiple limb impairments or severe single lower limb impairments, likely to lose balance during or after making the shot. Includes players with significant bilateral arm impairments requiring the use of long-shafted clubs. England’s Tony Lloyd was born with bilateral upper limb phocomelia (he refers to this as having elbow-length arms with no hands). What he doesn’t say is just how good a player he is off his single-figure Handicap Index. Using longer clubs, Tony creates all his power from a turning of his core, supporting the club under his armpits, last year shooting rounds of 86, 81 (including four birdies) and 84 at Woburn.   Standing 2 – Players with impaired dynamic standing balance, but able to stand on two legs, with prosthetic limbs if required. Able to maintain standing balance throughout and after making the shot. Luisa Ceola, from Italy, has a Handicap Index of 16.8 and a World Ranking of 85 (Nett). She has endured a lifelong struggle with a rare genetic condition affecting her legs, joints, spine and circulation. Luisa has won the Italian Open for Golfers with a Disability and the EDGA President’s Cup and has been a regular challenger on G4D leaderboards.  Standing 3 – Players with good dynamic standing balance and mobility, able to grip the club with two hands and swing without losing balance or grip. Usually walking the course using a golf cart or carrying clubs. Daphne van Houten of the Netherlands is the defending Women’s Champion at Woburn and winner of her Sport Class Standing 3 (female). She plays off a +0.1 Handicap Index and is world number one Gross (Female) player. The 26-year-old, born with scoliosis, explains, “Because I can’t turn my hips separately from my shoulders/upper body, I can’t get a lot of swing speed and I lose some distance compared with others. So, you have to find different ways to generate more speed, or be better at other elements in golf like the short game.”  Sitting 1 – Players with impaired trunk control, lack of consistent static sitting balance and no independent standing balance. Jurgen Boon had a mountain-bike accident in 2006 which left him paralysed from the chest down. In 2008 he started learning golf as a seated player. He has a strong swing with his right arm (‘forehand’) and a 20.2 Handicap Index, representing the Netherlands internationally. Jurgen says, “Golf for me is a sport, medicine and therapy all at once. I love being outside and enjoying a competition.” Sitting 2 – Players with active trunk control, dynamic sitting balance, minimal unsupported standing balance and unable to play standing without support. Graham Freeman is a T10 paraplegic who has active trunk control and dynamic sitting balance, enabling him to make an effective upper body turn throughout the swing. The Belgian player’s hand-eye co-ordination and acquired skills create consistency off his 13.1 Handicap Index that led him to victory in his class at The G4D Open 2023. He warmed up for this year’s championship on the EDGA Tour in the Algarve in January, putting together gross scores of 87 and 82 as runner-up in the Nett category. Visual 1 – Totally blind. Norway’s Mette Havnaas, 57, hears when she plays a good shot, she enjoys the sound when a putt has fallen to the bottom of the cup. “I found golf after losing my sight and I love it.” Guided on the course by her husband Birger, her Handicap Index is 15.4. “I now think that anything is possible. Some things now just take a little longer.”  Visual 2 – Significant visual impairment. With his visual impairment, Scotland’s Barry McCluskey can see the ball at his feet, but as soon as he strikes the ball he is unable to see where it goes. Furthermore, due to his disability Barry cannot judge distances, or the slopes on greens, thus relying on his guide throughout the round.