Golf is open to all
The G4D Open
The G4D Open | Meet Hayato Yoshida and Chris Willis
14 May 25
Long Read
Japan’s Hayato Yoshida returns to The G4D Open eager to impress at Woburn, a player who highlights the global nature of the championship with 20 countries represented this year.
“Golf is my reason for living,” said Yoshida, who will strike the opening tee shot of the Championship at 8.30am on Thursday morning. “It is a place where I can express myself. I chose golf because it is very good for rehabilitation. Delving into how my body responds to movement has become a rehabilitation for me. Above all, I enjoy improving.″ Yoshida had his right leg amputated from the thigh down at the age of 24 in a motorcycle accident and took up golf at the age of 30. Having played baseball until university, he quickly improved his skills and was awarded a teaching professional license by the Japan Professional Golfers' Association in 2022 while working at a golf course.Leader in golf
He is a recognised leader in golf for the disabled in Japan. As an instructor, he carefully teaches a wide range of golfers, and as a competitor, he has won four Japan Golf Open for the Disabled and competed on the Japanese Professional Golf Tour. In recent years, he has actively participated in international competitions. Last year he won the EDGA tournament in Italy. He also competed in Portugal in January this year. “The technical level of European players is high. In Europe, golf has the image of a leisure sport and there is an environment where they can play casually and take advantage of the characteristics of the courses they have known since childhood. For example, the ground is hard, so it is effective to roll the ball. They can roll it well with the putter even off the green.″ As well as competing in golf, Yoshida also enjoys socialising with others at events. He uses the translation function on his mobile phone and actively engages in conversation. He adds, “It's interesting to talk to local people, fellow golfers and fellow disabled people. I also learn a lot about cultural differences. Japanese manga and anime are popular and many players like them, so we talk about them a lot. In Portugal, I enjoyed talking to young players about anime and we talked about it over dinner after the round.″
Hayato Yoshida will hit the opening tee shot at The G4D Open.
Motivation to develop sport
Sometimes he also asks them about technical aspects like how to hit an approach shot because the ground is hard. It is often better to use a 9-iron or similar and put the clubhead flat under the ball. His motivation to help develop the sport is key for him. “I want people to know that there are many more disabled golf tournaments in the world, although there are still very few in Japan,” he says. “I think currently Europe is the most advanced in the world for disabled golf. There is a good atmosphere at the tournaments, it is fun to play in front of the gallery and some matches are televised. It is a place of self-realization and a place where my dreams as a golfer can come true. Through my challenge, I want to convey the appeal of golf and I hope to inspire other disabled children like myself to dream.″ And so begins the second challenge for Yoshida, 41, as he takes part in The G4D Open again this year. His aim is to fight for the championship. “I finished 21st last year, but this year I'm thinking about the course and adjusting my club settings to achieve better results.″ Based on last year's experiences, he is preparing to use a 3-iron and a gap wedge more. He says the most important thing is to control his emotions. “My strength is distance, but that often leads to mistakes, so I want to do it well. I want to go into the tournament as I always do calm and collected.″Four players from Japan
Alongside Yoshida will be three other Japanese players: Masato Koyamada (57, right forearm amputation), Takuya Akiyama (49, left thigh amputation) and Minori Omura (54). Yoshida adds, “I hope we can all get to the top working hard together. During the tournament we will be living and training together, so I want to do my best while exchanging a lot of information and talking with them.″ Akiyama says: ”I am honoured to be playing in The G4D Open, the most prestigious tournament in the world. I am looking forward to meeting players from all over the world.″ Koyamada notes, “Over the past few years, my iron shots in particular have suddenly started to hit poorly. I wasn't sure why and was at a loss as to what was going on. But last month I realised I wasn't holding the grip with the five fingers of my left hand and I've been able to hit the shots I used to hit when I was in good shape and feel good about my rounds. I think I can take on this competition without any hesitation and I want to try to make it into the top ten.″ Woburn is also where a smiling Hinako Shibuno won the 2019 AIG Women's Open and taught the Japanese their dreams can come true if they work hard.High hopes for Willis
Canadian golfer Chris Willis is also aiming to carry his winning mentality into one of the most competitive fields to date.
Chris Willis arrives at The G4D Open in fine form.
Although Willis only began competing in golfers with disability events in 2022, he’s quickly climbed the World Ranking for Golfers with Disability (WR4GD) and is heading into the Championship on strong form.
The G4D Open, now in its third year, has already been a stage of progress for Willis. In the inaugural 2023 edition, he finished in the top-15 and last year, he shot up the leaderboard to claim an impressive third-place finish. Now ranked seventh in the world standings, Willis heads into this week’s Championship as a serious contender.
“I think this year I hope to do very well,” Willis said. “I like the little upswing I am on and I have played against the best players. I feel my game stacks up well in terms of ball striking and decision making, but the short game is tricky for me because of my hands. So I am hoping to focus on those little parts of the game that alluded me. If I can do that, I feel very confident I can come away with a win, even a couple of big wins this year.”
Solid year
Willis credits much of his recent success to the EDGA Player Development Camp in Portugal, where he gained crucial insights into his game and how to manage it under pressure. “I’m happy with my year and it’s probably been one of the better disability golf years as I jumped up more than most people,” he added. “I was able to use the learnings that I got from the EDGA Player Development Camp in Portugal and I was able to use that learning and apply it to my tournament – and a lot of it’s worked. “Things are coming together – parts of my game I never really worked on – chipping and putting – you know the important parts – I’m starting to really focus on those and the benefits are coming along quite nicely.” A turning point came at the end of the season during the 2024 Canadian All Abilities Championships, where Willis delivered one of his most consistent performances to date shooting a second consecutive four-under-par 67 on Thursday to finish with rounds of 74-67-67-208, good for five-under and a nine-shot victory. Chris’ right thumb is missing a knuckle and he is also missing a left thumb. Through surgery, his left index finger has been made into a thumb, enabling him to grip. He adds, “That was kind of a benchmark for me because with my hands I struggle with short game consistency and consistency holding the club, and so that makes it very difficult to shoot back-to-back low rounds. I had a really good last tournament of the year and I hope I can keep that going.”
Chris Willis with The Duke of Bedford after his third-place finish last year.