Brendan Lawlor and Daphne van Houten Win 2025 G4D Open Titles

Brendan Lawlor of Ireland and Daphne van Houten from the Netherlands made history by winning their second G4D Open titles at the 2025 tournament, held at Woburn Golf Club in England.

Lawlor, who also won the first G4D Open in 2023, claimed the men’s title again. He finished with a final round score of 73, ending the 54-hole tournament at three-over-par (219). This gave him a four-shot win over Australia’s Lachlan Wood.

Van Houten also made history by keeping her women’s title. She finished 11 shots ahead of Germany’s Jennifer Sräga with a total score of 250.

In perfect weather on the Duchess Course, 28-year-old Lawlor started well in the final round, making two birdies in his first six holes. His closest competitors, France’s Thomas Colombel and Denmark’s Frederik Brokfelt-Christiansen, lost ground early. Colombel’s chances ended with a triple bogey on the 4th hole.

Lawlor, who has a rare condition called Ellis–van Creveld syndrome, stayed steady with seven pars in a row starting at the 7th hole. Even a double bogey on the 17th couldn’t stop him from winning.

Lachlan Wood, 34, was Lawlor’s biggest challenger. He made four birdies on the front nine but a double bogey on the 15th hurt his chances. He still finished second with a final round of 71 and a total score of 223. England’s Thomas Blizzard and Spain’s Juan Postigo Arce tied for third at 224.

In the women’s event, 26-year-old van Houten, ranked 27th in the World Ranking for Golfers with Disability (WR4GD), played solid golf. She finished with a round of 79, including birdies on holes 10 and 13. Van Houten, who has scoliosis and other health issues, is also a regular winner on the EDGA Tour.

Jennifer Sräga, 25, who has Achondroplasia (a form of dwarfism), had a great first G4D Open, finishing second. England’s Aimi Bullock took third place.

The G4D Open, started in 2023, is a joint event by The R&A and DP World Tour, and is supported by EDGA (European Disabled Golf Association). It is one of the most inclusive golf events, with 80 players from 20 countries, aged 18 to 79, including amateurs and professionals with different disabilities. Players competed in nine different sport classes based on their type of impairment.

Winners in each sport class were also announced:

Men’s Winners:

• Intellectual 1: Cameron Pollard (Australia)
• Intellectual 2: Thomas Blizzard (England)
• Standing 1: Juan Postigo Arce (Spain)
• Standing 2: Frederik Brokfelt-Christiansen (Denmark)
• Standing 3: Brendan Lawlor (Ireland)
• Sitting 2: Richard Kluwen (Netherlands)
• Visual 2: John Eakin (England)

Women’s Winners:

• Intellectual 1: Natasha Stasiuk (Canada)
• Intellectual 2: Michelle Lau (England)
• Standing 1: Alessandra Donati (Italy)
• Standing 2: Aimi Bullock (England)
• Standing 3: Daphne van Houten (Netherlands)
• Visual 1: Mette Havnaas (Norway)
• Visual 2: Charlene Pienaar (South Africa)

Woburn Golf Club has a strong history of hosting major events, including The Open Final Qualifying and the 2019 AIG Women’s Open. The G4D Open is part of a growing effort to include golfers with disabilities in top-level competitions.

Player Quotes

Brendan Lawlor, Ireland

“It feels unbelievable. I played extremely solid all week. My game is in fantastic shape. It’s such a tight course. You can’t go in trouble and I stayed out of trouble a lot over the three days. I’m quite proud of my performance today. I was very, very solid and I know Lachlan went on a really good run on the front nine to put a bit of pressure on.

“So I stuck to my guns and kept hitting greens and fairways to make pars. I had a wee slip-up on the 17th, a hole which hasn’t been good to me in the past. But I had a nice buffer and I’m absolutely chuffed.

“It’s an unreal championship and I just want to thank Woburn and all the organisers. It’s a credit to everyone involved to make this event so special.”

Lachlan Wood, Australia

“I sort of put myself back a long way yesterday. I couldn’t get anything going. I battled all day. I put myself back in the pack and I knew I had to do something special today.

“The front 12 holes were probably flawless and I think I could have made another four birdies on top of the four I made. I think I had a good plan all week, came here early and did some work. Second place is great and I’m sure everyone is going to be happy for me back home but deep down inside I’m beyond crushed to not win this.”

Daphne van Houten, The Netherlands

“I’m very proud because this morning I woke up and I said to my boyfriend, ‘I don’t know about today’. I didn’t feel comfortable, a little fever. But once I get on the course, you go into some kind of focus that you completely forget about all the problems that you have physically. Sometimes I got dizzy and I needed to manage that.

“I’m very proud of myself that I finished the round, played well and won. I think Jennifer was a little nervous. I did have a bit of an advantage in that I know how it is to play with crowds, live scoring, people watching and the pressure.”

Jennifer Sräga, Germany

“My game was really bad today, especially my putting. It’s totally my fault. Daphne played really well. Yeah, it was my fault that I got second place. I was a little bit nervous, of course, but not much more than the other day.

“But it’s a huge tournament and I can be happy with second. The women’s field is getting bigger. It’s also a really great tournament and really well organised. I feel a little professional