Mission accomplished for history-maker Brendan Lawlor

He may not be around for the weekend at The Belfry but just teeing it up at the ISPS HANDA UK Championship means a job well done for Ireland’s Brendan Lawlor.

The 22-year-old professional made history on day one at the storied course near Birmingham on Thursday as he became the first disability golfer to play in a European Tour event. Lawlor, who has a rare condition called Ellis-van Creveld syndrome which is characterised by a shorter stature and shorter limbs, shot an opening-round 84, 12 over par, that means he is almost certainly heading for an early exit from The Belfry as a victim of the halfway cut on Friday evening. Yet for the Louth man, playing out of Carton House, the score was secondary to raising awareness for disability golf.