Opening Golf to the World
The G4D Open
The G4D Open | Meet Nicky Weeks and Gustav Stigsson-Andersson
01 May 26
8 mins
When Nicky Weeks tees it up in The G4D Open at Celtic Manor Resort in Wales (14-16 May), it will surely be a landmark in her golf and health journey across the past two decades.
This smiling, witty and thoughtful player from Surrey made her debut last year at Woburn. “It was so exciting and enjoyable. I found it almost overwhelming at first in terms of its scale, the atmosphere and the wonderful player support,” says Nicky, as she recalls navigating this international Championship staged by The R&A and DP World Tour, supported by EDGA (European Disabled Golf Association), which in 2025 welcomed 80 players from 20 countries. A golfer since her late 20s after being an amateur jockey, in Nicky’s mid-30s life got in the way. When she plays in the Championship in Wales, the Englishwoman will be very much aware that it will be 20 years to the month since she was admitted to hospital, feeling dreadful, with a loss of feeling in her side and in her face, that she thought was a stroke but instead was the start towards the slowly-made but certain diagnosis of multiple sclerosis (MS), leaving her facing life-changing physical and cognitive challenges.Golf plays important role for Weeks
From the start she relied on her husband, Chris, her loving family and friends. Nicky has found a strong lifeline over these 20 years as she keeps herself physically and mentally well, whether through supporting her family, growing fruit and vegetables in her garden in their village near Guildford, or playing golf off a Handicap Index of 12 in the friendly environment of Puttenham Golf Club. “I didn’t expect golf to play such an important part,” says the 57-year-old, who played in her first G4D (golf for the disabled) tournament in 2019 with EDGA. “I wasn’t expecting the genuine warmth from everybody. That really struck me. It was quite uplifting to be with those players and it gave me a buzz.” Managing her health very carefully, good competition scores gradually led Nicky to qualifying for The G4D Open last year. “It was such an incredible week, the members back at the club were amazed to learn I was playing against golfers from Canada, Australia and Japan. It was overwhelming at first,” laughs Nicky. “The impressive tournament signposting and scoreboards, all the back-up staff from The R&A and DP World Tour, the tour doctor, physios, the welcome team from EDGA. You felt great. I can’t wait to play at Celtic Manor and I’ll feel a bit more confident this time.”
Nicky Weeks, England
“If you want a challenge, or to meet people, or just get some fresh air, golf ticks all the boxes."
Lasting friendships
There are nine Sport Classes in which to compete, across all impairment categories. Nicky will be looking to win Sport Class Standing 2. In Nicky’s handling of MS, golf has become a powerful thread that links the lasting friendships she is making with the wish to encourage many others with MS through awareness of health and sport opportunities. When Nicky played in the RSM European Play-offs last season at North Hants GC, she shared a practice round with Dutch player, Mascha Bos. The two women bonded easily and when a fatigued Nicky finished her practice early to rest, she donated her course planner to Mascha to help her learn the course. When Mascha later won through to the final of the match play, relying on this planner, she would meet Nicky in the final, and the pair joked their way round, with Nicky eventually winning the trophy. A close new friendship made via competitive golf. The significant win followed Nicky’s victory in the 2025 Rose Ladies Series event at Southport & Ainsdale. With a three-round championship ahead on the rolling terrain of Celtic Manor, looking after herself will take careful planning, including on two practice days. “I’ll play the par-3S, a few of the 4s and spend a lot of time studying the greens,” says Nicky, who says she has been putting well of late. “But I must keep the physical balance right otherwise I won’t last the course.Samson Centre MS clinic for support
“The cognitive problems I have are that I’m extremely forgetful. I do brain training exercises on an app. If I’m really tired, I struggle to find the words, and even make up words sometimes, which is quite amusing for the rest of my family. You do have to laugh at certain things. I eat well, I do keep myself fit.” Nicky has attended the Samson Centre MS clinic for two years, found near to her home in Guildford, where there is “a brilliant team” supporting people, building confidence. “If you want a challenge, or to meet people, or just get some fresh air, golf ticks all the boxes. Golf boosts self-confidence and a feeling of achievement, it can make a positive difference in anybody’s life, whatever they’re facing.”
Nicky Weeks and Mascha Bos formed a close friendship at the RSM European play-offs.
During the inaugural 2023 edition of The G4D Open, online video footage saw Sweden's 17-year-old Gustav Stigsson-Andersson hitting a superb iron shot into a green at Woburn, his ball settling close to the flag.
Swinging the club with such control using his powerful right arm and an engineered prosthetic on his left arm, this created just one of the captivating images from that first Championship. Gustav loved his whole experience then as a somewhat raw teenager, finishing tied-33rd. He returned in 2024 to finish 36th, improving to 20th last year, and now qualifying again.
Stigsson-Andersson ready for Wales
“I’m really excited for Wales, the conditions will be different from my course, Karlstad Golf Klubb in central Sweden,” explains Gustav. He is desperate to play after their long winter. “I’ve just played a first couple of rounds, but we can prepare well indoors using Trackman and work at the gym to get ready, so we are good to go.” This 20-year-old is a part-time architecture student at college. But when he is not studying greener housing environments, he considers his future as a possible golf coach, including supporting youngsters.
Gustav Stigsson-Andersson - Sweden
"There were one or two people who said it would be too difficult for me to play, but a friend told me, ‘Of course you can do it’."
When Gustav was born, the blood didn’t flow to his left arm properly and a surgeon needed to amputate. Later, his ever-supportive family were delighted when he went along with his dad to the driving range one day, aged 13. As with his golf heroes Rory McIlroy and Dustin Johnson, Gustav has shown he can knock the ball around a golf course in par or better (he has a golf Handicap Index of +0.7), in his case using just the one full arm.
Gustav admits the narrow, tree-lined fairways of Woburn challenged his driving play from the tee. He likes the look of the slightly more open Roman Road lay-out at Celtic Manor but isn’t taking anything for granted. He added, “I am a bit more optimistic from the tee this year. I’ve also learned recently the importance of making clear, correct decisions, and then once done, committing to that choice and executing well.”
Swedish support network
Gustav refers to finishing runner-up in the EGA European Individual Championship last August in his home country (gross rounds of 71, 73, 73), when on the 18th hole on the final day with a one-shot lead, he came out a fraction low from a bunker and struck the lip, just missing out on the title; a tough lesson. Starting at Celtic Manor as the leading world-ranked player in the field with a below-elbow amputation, Gustav will compete in ‘Standing 2’, one of nine Sport Classes covering all impairments. No longer one of the out-and-out youngsters, his Swedish compatriot Ville Engqvist makes his debut aged just 16. Ville will be welcomed into a friendly Swedish group that also includes Johan Kammerstad, Rasmus Lia, Erika Malmberg and Felix Norrman.
Gustav Stigsson-Andersson is ready for The G4D at Celtic Manor Resort.
No longer one of the out-and-out youngsters, his Swedish compatriot Ville Engqvist makes his debut aged just 16. Ville will be welcomed into a friendly Swedish group that also includes Johan Kammerstad, Rasmus Lia, Erika Malmberg and Felix Norrman.
He said, “My Handicap Index dropped from 25 to 10 in one season. There were one or two people who said it would be too difficult for me to play, but a friend told me, ‘Of course you can do it’. Then I just tried with my normal ‘floorball’ (like hockey) swing and how I played the ice hockey game we call ‘bandy’.”
Being part of the supportive environment at Karlstad, he has given his time as a volunteer coach and enjoys this role. “I strive to be a role model, not only for golfers with disability but also juniors at my club,” he added. “It's great to see the players learn and develop.”