Brendan Lawlor set to top world rankings after winning at Galgorm Castle

Lawlor is poised to move to the top of the World Ranking for Golfers with Disability for the first time after the Louth man claimed victory at the ISPS HANDA World Disability Invitational

Sun, 01 Aug, 2021 - 16:15

Brendan Lawlor is poised to move to the top of the World Ranking for Golfers with Disability (WR4GD) for the first time in his burgeoning professional career after the Louth man claimed a second victory in back-to-back weeks at the ISPS HANDA World Disability Invitational.

The 22-year-old was the official host for the second tournament of the 2021 EDGA European Tour season and he lived up to his headliner billing with a dominant performance from start to finish.

Having carded a three-under 67 at Massereene Golf Club on the opening day, Lawlor delighted the fans at Galgorm – which included global pop star Niall Horan, co-founder of Modest! Golf Management, which manages Lawlor – with another superb three-under 67.

That earned him a six-under total and a six-stroke victory over Italy’s Tomasso Perrino, who also finished runner-up to Lawlor at last week’s EDGA Cazoo Open.

It was an emotional triumph for Lawlor, watched by his family at Galgorm, while Horan also struggled to hold back the tears with the news that the win is set to move Lawlor to the top of the WR4GD, when the rankings are released on Wednesday.

It would complete a career goal for Lawlor, who aims to inspire a new generation of golfers with disabilities.

“It was a dream of mine from day one to go to world number one since this journey started three years ago,” said Lawlor, who has Ellis-Van Creveld syndrome, a disability characterised by a shorter stature and shorter limbs.

“I climbed the rankings pretty quickly and we’ve changed a lot of lives in that time and I’ve changed my own life too. It’s a full-time job now.

“The pinnacle would be to reach world number one and hopefully now I can stay there as long as Tiger Woods did! This week is bringing so many people into the game and that’s what we’re trying to do. These guys will hopefully be making a living soon and we’ll keep striving.

“It’s been a tough year and a half, the family have been amazing and I had my dad on the bag and the rest of my family out there – they have been amazing. I’m getting emotional, I don’t know what to say but it’s unreal.”

Horan said: “I’m a bit emotional myself. It’s unbelievable, what he’s done the last couple of years, he’s just a superstar, this lad.

“He takes every opportunity by the scruff of the neck, every time the European Tour has had an EDGA event, he’s either won it or got close. Pressure is for diamonds! I’m so proud of him and when they announce him as world number one this week, it’s going to be a proud moment.

“He’s been waiting his whole life to get there and here he is at a very young age, with this trophy in his hand again and hopefully the world number one title this week and nobody deserves it more than him.”