Brendan Lawlor calls his most recent feat a ‘dream come true’ as he reaches the top of the World Ranking for Golfers with Disability for the first time.
Just three years into his career, Brendan Lawlor has made it to the top of the World Ranking for Golfers with Disability (WR4GD) for the first time.
The 22-year-old, who has a type of dwarfism named Ellis–van Creveld, claimed back to back wins at both the EDGA Cazoo Open and ISPS HANDA World Invitational presented by Brendan Lawlor to secure his place as World Number One.
After his most recent win, Lawlor explained that it has been a goal of his to become the best in the World from the outset of his career.
“It was a dream of mine from day one to go to World Number One, since this journey started three years ago,” said Lawlor on Sunday, while explaining his whole motive is to grow the game.
“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 making a living soon and we’ll keep striving.”
To achieve it in front of his family in Ireland, with his dad on the bag, made his victory in Ireland even more special.
“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.”
For the first time in his career 22-year-old @BrendanLawlor97 has made it to the top of the World Ranking for Golfers with Disability. ☝️ pic.twitter.com/TxHgHDZ6Ih
— The European Tour (@EuropeanTour) August 4, 2021
It’s just the latest in a series of accolades for Lawlor, who only took up golf at the age of 15 years old and has been an advocate for the game ever since.
He only played his first EDGA event at the end of 2017, and in the years since the Irishman has turned professional, amassed many titles, and become the first professional disabled golfer to play on the European Tour.
Throughout it all, Lawlor’s goal has been to reach the pinnacle of his sport, and he’s never lost sight of what he hopes achieving that could do for the game.
"A lot of people in the top ranking focus so much on climbing the Rankings they forget what else we are doing, which is helping people out of hospital or helping how people feel, and I think that’s a huge part of it," Lawlor wrote in his European Tour player blog last year, where he explained all about his disability and his route into golf.
"I want to help get more players in to the game so that it can become more competitive, but also just to help people, no matter their ability or level."
