An initiative designed to prepare future G4D Tour players is reaping its rewards.
For the third G4D Tour event in a row, at least one player from a 12-strong group that attended a player development camp arranged by EDGA in January 2024 is making their entrance into the pinnacle of disability golf.
After South Africa’s Daniel Slabbert at the Betfred British Masters and Canada’s Chris Willis at the Amgen Irish Open, it is the turn of France’s Thomas Colombel at next week’s BMW PGA Championship.
Colombel, who is autistic, has competed at The G4D Open but will take his place in a ten-strong field that also features Willis, born with several birth defects, at Wentworth Club from September 8-9.
The pair will be joined by Cameroon-born Issa Nlareb, who attended the camp at Quinta do Lago in Portugal to provide the mixed-gender group a perspective from a player with experience on the G4D Tour.
In 2018, Nlareb contracted bacterial meningitis while competing on the Alps Tour, with sepsis resulting in the amputation of both his legs and three fingers on his right hand.
Since then, he has made the transition to competing as a leading golfer with a disability, making his G4D Tour debut at the ISPS HANDA World Invitational at Galgorm Castle Golf Club in August 2023.
The EDGA Player Development Camp, supported by the European Tour group, saw the players from ten countries and four continents receive insights from coaches, nutritionists and performance experts as they took part in an intense week of learning.
The success of the player pathway was highlighted by Slabbert, a left leg amputee, winning on his G4D Tour debut last month at The Belfry.
Launched in 2022 by EDGA and the European Tour group, the G4D Tour sees golfers with a disability compete on the same course and in the same week as the professionals on the DP World Tour.
