The Scottish Open will have a European Disability Golf Association (EDGA) event for the first time this year, with nine players from eight countries announced today.
The new 36-hole tournament will run alongside the event at The Renaissance Club in North Berwick.
The event will be staged on July 13-14, 2019 – over the weekend of one of the European Tour’s biggest events of the year.
Nine players from the World Rankings for Golfers with Disability (WR4GD) have qualified from four pre-determined categories, with one wildcard invitation to be confirmed shortly to complete the field.
Players will tackle the same course setup as the European Tour professionals.
A second tournament will be held at the season-ending DP World Tour Championship in Dubai at Jumeirah Golf Estates.
Scoring for both tournaments will feature on the European Tour’s website and App for fans to follow, while highlights of both contests will form part of the world feed broadcast.
The winner in Scotland will also take part in the main prizegiving ceremony on Sunday afternoon.
© Warren Little / Getty ImagesKeith Pelley, Chief Executive of the European Tour, said: “It was one of the proudest moments of my time so far at the European Tour to announce that we would be working alongside EDGA to offer golfers with a disability the opportunity to play competitive tournaments alongside two of our most high-profile events.
“I am delighted to welcome the initial nine players into the field for the EDGA Scottish Open, and I have no doubt that they will relish the test at The Renaissance Club on July 13 and 14, over the weekend of the Aberdeen Standard Investments Scottish Open.
“This event in Scotland is a watershed moment, as we work, alongside the EDGA, towards our aspirational goal of a ‘Golfers with Disability World Tour’ by 2021.”
EDGA President and IGF Head of Disability and Inclusion Tony Bennett said: “The announcement of these two exciting events in Scotland and Dubai, in collaboration with the European Tour, is already proving to be a game changer. Golf has the potential to be the most inclusive game of all, and we have seen a rapid increase in interest for the integration of individuals with disability into participation and competition programmes.
“As we prepare for the EDGA Scottish Open, we have already seen demand for a range of new initiatives, including school awareness programmes, a pop-in women’s event at the Home of Golf, St Andrews, demonstration events in rehabilitation centres, and of course more applications for national and regional tournaments. These developments indicate the reach that the European Tour has, and the growing interest from people of all abilities and from all backgrounds in the game.”
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