Top Golfers for Irish Blind Golf Open
Many of the leading blind golfers in the world will take part in the revived Irish Blind Golf Open championship to be held at Roganstown golf and country club from July 2 to July 5 next.The championship is being staged by the Irish Blind Golf Society with sponsorship assistance from Vision Sports Ireland and Dr Haruhisha Handa, a Japanese millionaire businessman, academic and philanthropist.
The first Irish blind golf open championship was held in Bray, Co Wicklow in 1993 and subsequently at Mount Juliet and at Turvey. The event at Roganstown affirms the status of Irish Blind Golf Society in the international blind golf community.
competitors from Australia, Japan, South Africa, Italy, Israel, Netherlands, Canada, Scotland, N. Ireland, England/Wales and the Republic of Ireland will bid for the Irish Open Championship over the North Co. Dublin course.
Included in the entries are 2014 Australian Blind Golf Open Champion Kris Adams from Scotland, the 2013 British Blind Golf Open Champion, Chris Evans (England / Wales), the 2012 Italian Blind Golf Open Champion Mirco Ghiggeri from Italy and 2012 IBGA World Blind Golf Champion Pieta le Roux (England/Wales).
In all 33 golfers across three sight categories – B1 (totally blind) and visually impaired players in categories B2 and B3 – will compete. Blind golf is a team effort - each player has a guide who assists in setting up the shot.
Nine of the thirty three competitors are totally blind (sight category B1), the remaining being visually impaired (sight categories B2 and B3.
The four top ranked category B1 players as decided by the International Blind Golf Association will play in the tournament at Roganstown Golf and Country Club.
leading members of the Irish Blind Golf Society Jimmy Murray, Paul O’Rahilly, Wally Roode, Adrian Downey and Joe Lonergan will also take part. Wally Roode has already achieved high finishes in several international events.
Paul O’Rahilly, honorary secretary of Irish Blind Golf Society said “Blind golf is a two person sport. The guide assists with setting up the golfer, making course management decisions, and watching / describing the shot played. All the blind golfer has to do is hit the ball. We are delighted that with the support of the Golfing Union of Ireland and the R&A Working for Golf programme that we can now revive the Irish championship. The quality of the entry speaks highly of the reputation of Irish golf and Irish Blind Golf.
Nearly 70 players and guides from eleven countries will be at Roganstown Golf and Country Club, which was designed by Christy O’Connor jnr, for the open. The event will continue our efforts to make golf accessible to blind and visually impaired golfers in Ireland.The International Blind Golf Association I.B.G.A. is the driving force for the 13 national associations representing 500 blind golfers worldwide. The IBGA would like to see these numbers grow and is also involved in a bid to introduce disabled or paragolf into the Paralympics in 2020” Mr. O’Rahilly added.
Contact – Paul O’Rahilly 086 846 0029
E-mail irishblindgolf@hotmail.com
Web. www irishblindgolf.eu
Many of the leading blind golfers in the world will take part in the revived Irish Blind Golf Open championship to be held at Roganstown golf and country club from July 2 to July 5 next.The championship is being staged by the Irish Blind Golf Society with sponsorship assistance from Vision Sports Ireland and Dr Haruhisha Handa, a Japanese millionaire businessman, academic and philanthropist.
The first Irish blind golf open championship was held in Bray, Co Wicklow in 1993 and subsequently at Mount Juliet and at Turvey. The event at Roganstown affirms the status of Irish Blind Golf Society in the international blind golf community.
competitors from Australia, Japan, South Africa, Italy, Israel, Netherlands, Canada, Scotland, N. Ireland, England/Wales and the Republic of Ireland will bid for the Irish Open Championship over the North Co. Dublin course.
Included in the entries are 2014 Australian Blind Golf Open Champion Kris Adams from Scotland, the 2013 British Blind Golf Open Champion, Chris Evans (England / Wales), the 2012 Italian Blind Golf Open Champion Mirco Ghiggeri from Italy and 2012 IBGA World Blind Golf Champion Pieta le Roux (England/Wales).
In all 33 golfers across three sight categories – B1 (totally blind) and visually impaired players in categories B2 and B3 – will compete. Blind golf is a team effort - each player has a guide who assists in setting up the shot.
Nine of the thirty three competitors are totally blind (sight category B1), the remaining being visually impaired (sight categories B2 and B3.
The four top ranked category B1 players as decided by the International Blind Golf Association will play in the tournament at Roganstown Golf and Country Club.
leading members of the Irish Blind Golf Society Jimmy Murray, Paul O’Rahilly, Wally Roode, Adrian Downey and Joe Lonergan will also take part. Wally Roode has already achieved high finishes in several international events.
Paul O’Rahilly, honorary secretary of Irish Blind Golf Society said “Blind golf is a two person sport. The guide assists with setting up the golfer, making course management decisions, and watching / describing the shot played. All the blind golfer has to do is hit the ball. We are delighted that with the support of the Golfing Union of Ireland and the R&A Working for Golf programme that we can now revive the Irish championship. The quality of the entry speaks highly of the reputation of Irish golf and Irish Blind Golf.
Nearly 70 players and guides from eleven countries will be at Roganstown Golf and Country Club, which was designed by Christy O’Connor jnr, for the open. The event will continue our efforts to make golf accessible to blind and visually impaired golfers in Ireland.The International Blind Golf Association I.B.G.A. is the driving force for the 13 national associations representing 500 blind golfers worldwide. The IBGA would like to see these numbers grow and is also involved in a bid to introduce disabled or paragolf into the Paralympics in 2020” Mr. O’Rahilly added.
Contact – Paul O’Rahilly 086 846 0029
E-mail irishblindgolf@hotmail.com
Web. www irishblindgolf.eu
ISPS HANDA IRISH BLIND GOLF OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP 2014
ROGANSTOWN HOTEL AND COUNTRY CLUB CO. DUBLIN
WEDNESDAY 2ND JULY (ARRIVAL)
7.00 pm Briefing Meeting in The Aungier Suite
7.30 pm Sight testing (players to be tested will be notified at
briefing meeting.
8.00 pm Buffet Dinner in The Aungier Suite.
THURSDAY 3RD JULY (TOURNAMENT FIRST 18 HOLES)
7.00 am Breakfast available in The Grill
7.30 am Registration in Boardroom 1, The Courtyard.
8.04 to 10.12 pm Tee off from Hole Number 1
7.00 pm Dinner in The Aungier Suite.
FRIDAY 4TH JULY (TOURNAMENT SECOND 18 HOLES)
7.00 am Breakfast available in The Grill
7.30 am Registration in Boardroom 1, The courtyard.
8.04 to 10.12pm Tee off from Hole Number 1
8.00 pm Gala Dinner and Presentation in The Augier Suite
(Dress code: Jacket and Tie for gentlemen)
SATURDAY 5TH JULY (SPONSORS SCRAMBLE)
7.30 am Breakfast available in The Grill
11.00 am Registration in Boardroom 1, The Courtyard.
12 to 2.00 pm Sponsors Scramble
7.00 pm Bar B Q in McLoughlins Restaurant and Patio.
SUNDAY 6TH JULY (DEPART)
7.30 am Breakfast available in The Grill
Checkout by 11.00 am.
12.00 (Noon) Transfer to Belfast.
RESULTS
LEADING SCORES AFTER THE FIRST DAY AT THE IRISH BLIND GOLF OPEN
STROKE PLAY
B1 B2 B3
C. Pozzi Giacosa ------- 68 Ed. Maguire -------- 71 S. Beevers ---------- 66
B. McAlister ------------ 72 J. Dinsdale ----------73 C. Evans ------------- 77
B. MacLeod ------------- 75 T.Reidy ---------------74 W.Roode------------ 77
STABLEFORT
J. Murray ---------------- 35
A. Downey -------------- 28
D. McElroy -------------- 22
STROKE PLAY
B1 B2 B3
C. Pozzi Giacosa ------- 68 Ed. Maguire -------- 71 S. Beevers ---------- 66
B. McAlister ------------ 72 J. Dinsdale ----------73 C. Evans ------------- 77
B. MacLeod ------------- 75 T.Reidy ---------------74 W.Roode------------ 77
STABLEFORT
J. Murray ---------------- 35
A. Downey -------------- 28
D. McElroy -------------- 22
B1 Champion Golfer: Chiara Pozzi Giacosa -- Italy
B2 Champion Golfer: Garrett Slattery -------- South Africa
B3 Champion Golfer: Steve Beevers ---------- England & Wales
Champion Golfer: Chiara Pozzi Giacosa ------ Italy
Runner Up: Steve Beevers ---------------------- England & Wales
A Perpetual Cup was awarded to the Champion Golfer
The Stableford Competition
Best 36 Holes Stableford: J. Murray ----------- Rep. of Ireland
Best 18 Holes Stableford: A. Downey –-------- Rep. of Ireland
Chiara Pozzi Giacosa, the world’s leading totally blind lady golfer won the ISPS Handa Irish Blind Golf Open in Roganstown Golf Club on July 3rd and 4th. Chiara beat Steven Beevers, from England, on countback, both players returning a net score of 136 over 36 holes.
Chiara was also awarded the B1 (totally blind) Champion Golfer for her gross score of 208. The B2 and B3 (visually impaired) categories were awarded to Garrett Slattery and Steven Beevers for gross scores of 188 and 168 respectively.
The field included 30 visually impaired and blind golfers and their guides from 11 countries, all members of the International Blind Golf Association.
Two Irish golfers emerged as winners of the 36 and 18 hole stableford competition. Dublins Jimmy Murray founder member of Irish Blind Golf won the 36 hole event. The 18 hole stableford was won by Adrian Downey, also from Dublin.
Almost all of the players in the Irish will travel to County Antrim this weekend, to play in the ISPS Handa British Blind Golf Open, which is running concurrently, and will be played over 36 holes on July 8th and 9th in the Templepatrick Hilton Current Irish captain, Willem Roode, will be accompanied by Paul O’Rahilly and Adrian Downey to this event, along with their guides Eamonn McGee, John Kennedy and Patrick Cockburn.
For further information, contact irishblindgolf@hotmail.com or Paul O’Rahilly at 086 846 0029
Website: www.irishblindgolf.eu
Follow us on Twitter: @irishblindgolf
