I love opponents who see me and think 'alright, handy match here...'

The 4'11" Dundalk man has a rare condition called Ellis-van Creveld syndrome, a disability characterised by a shorter stature and shorter limbs.

Dundalk golfer Brendan Lawlor: "To have the opportunity to represent disability golfers across the world is a fantastic honour and I hope to have a solid few rounds, to showcase that disability golfers are talented in their own right."

Brendan Lawlor will make his European Tour debut when he tees it up in the inaugural ISPS HANDA UK Championship - the final event of the UK Swing - at The Belfry on Thursday.

The Dundalk man, who is currently ranked fourth in the World Rankings for Golfers with Disability (WR4GD), has a rare condition called Ellis-van Creveld syndrome, a disability characterised by a shorter stature and shorter limbs. He is 4 ft 11.

The 22-year-old turned professional in September last year having made a huge impact globally on the disabled golfers’ circuit, including winning the 36-hole EDGA Scottish Open in 2019, which was played over the same course as the professionals at the Renaissance Club, concurrently with the Aberdeen Standard Investments Scottish Open.

He also competed in the ISPS HANDA Disabled Golf Cup, played alongside the 2019 Presidents Cup in Melbourne, where twelve of the world’s leading golfers with a disability, played the same course and conditions as the pros.

Lawlor has since received a tournament invite on behalf of his sponsor and tournament title partner, ISPS HANDA, as they continue to collaborate with the European Tour in raising the profile of golf as an accessible sport for all through their long-term support of global golf initiatives.

“I am really looking forward to making my European Tour debut and competing alongside some of the best players in the world,” said Lawlor. “To have the opportunity to represent disability golfers across the world is a fantastic honour and I hope to have a solid few rounds, to showcase that disability golfers are talented in their own right. I can’t thank Dr Handa and ISPS HANDA enough for this wonderful opportunity and for their long-term dedication to disability golf.

A member of Dundalk’s Leinster Barton Shield winning team last year, Lawlor knows he can use opponent's preconceptions as an advantage.

“You get that all the time, but to be honest, it works in your favour,” Lawlor told Irish Golfer.ie. “People walk up to the tee against me and think, ‘alright, handy match here’ and then they’re losing on 15 or 16 and they don’t know what’s happened. I love match play situations. You’re always in with a sniff in match play; it’s never over until the end. In the Senior Cup last year, I was two down with four to play and I birdied 15, 16 and 17 and won the match. So, they might think they’ve an easy match but…”