Ryder Cup Europe underlined its support of disabled golf by presenting a specialist Para-golfer machine to the French Golf Federation at the Alstom Open de France.
Jean Van de Velde and Thomas Levet joined the presentation at Le Golf National, along with French Golf Federation President Georges Barbaret and Charles Gandia, the French Golf Federation’s President of Disabled Golf.
Sandy Jones, of Ryder Cup Europe, and Ian Randall, Chief Executive of the PGAs of Europe, were also scheduled to be present but experienced last minute flight problems en route to Paris.
Increasing participation in golf at all levels was a major part of France’s successful 2018 Ryder Cup bid, which will see the game’s most prestigious team competition visit Le Golf National in seven years.
The Para-golfer machine, which helps elevate and support disabled golfers into a position where they can play a variety of shots, was accepted by Jean-Marie Requeut, a member of the French Handi-Golf Team, and Jean Jacques Durand, President of St Omer Golf Club which has created facilities to encourage disabled golfers
Charles Gandia, in making the presentation of the Para-golfer to Jean Jacques Durand, said: “We are grateful to the European Ryder Cup committee for this fantastic gesture to help our ambitious plans to grow the number of disabled golfers in France. Jean Jacques has played an important role at St Omer in welcoming disabled golfers to northern France and this second machine will play a vital part in increasing participation.”
Sandy Jones, on behalf of Ryder Cup Europe, added: “The Ryder Cup Committee was very impressed with the ambitious plans of the French Golf Federation to grow the game of golf in France in the build up to The 2018 Ryder Cup.
“Creating access for disabled golfers is an important element of this development plan and we are delighted to support these initiatives with today’s presentation of this machine to Jean Jacques, who has already demonstrated his commitment to this cause at St Omer Golf Club.”
