Brendan Lawlor Visit Tops Off a Fun Day for Visiting ‘SEND’ Pupils
“Golf is a game for everyone and if you’re a young person with a disability and you want to try golf, it can offer you so much.”
The inspirational words rang out from the Swingzone at The Open this week, where two-time G4D Open winner Brendan Lawlor joined in the fun and games, and helped our mission to inspire the next generation.
All week, we have been promoting the inclusive value of golf during The 154th Open at Royal Birkdale. School and golf club groups have been coming to the site every day – with a number of these specialising in supporting children with special educational needs and disability (SEND) – to join our team for fun and energetic golf sessions.
All the groups have been part of our Road To The Opens project, as we work alongside The R&A to inspire the local area, and leave a legacy that lasts long after the final putt is sunk at Royal Birkdale on Sunday.
In the Swingzone, though, Sunday’s final moment was far from the youngsters’ minds as they took on inclusive challenges, looking to outdo each other in chipping and putting games, all while learning mental toughness tools that help on and off the golf course.
“This is really important,” the 29-year-old Irish golfer Brendan Lawlor explained, after joining in the excitement with the youngsters from Cribden House School in Rossendale, Lancashire. “You can enjoy golf at any time in your life but the younger you can start the game the better.
“It doesn’t matter what difference you have, there is a game for you to play out there. We all need to make sure the game is fun for the kids to play, easy to get started with no pressure and to learn from the game as you go.
“The different values we can all learn from golf can help us so much in the rest of our lives.
“We’ve had a great fun session here and I’d like to thank the R&A for bringing me along this week – and of course the youngsters for letting me join them for a game!”
