Blind golfers set to tee off for Open

SOME of the leading blind golfers in the world will travel to Swords this week to take part in the Irish Blind Golf Open.

The revived championship will be held at Roganstown Golf and Country Club from July 2 to July 5.

The championship is being staged by the lrish Blind Golf Society with sponsorship assistance from Vision Sports lreland and Dr Haruhisha Handa, a Japanese millionaire businessman, academic and philanthropist.

The first Irish Blind Golf Open championship was held in Bray in 1993 and subsequently at Mount Juliet and at Turvey, Donabate. The event at Roganstown affirms the status of Irish Blind Golf Society in the international blind golf community.

Competitors from Australia, Japan, South Africa, ltaly, lsrael, Netherlands, Canada, Scotland, Northern lreland, England/Wales and the Republic of Ireland will bid for the Irish Open Championship over the north county Dublin course.

A total of 33 golfers across three sight categories – BI (totally blind) and visually impaired players in categories 82 and 83 – 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 82 and 83.

The four top ranked category 81 players as decided by the international Blind Golf Association will play in the tournament.

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 lreland and the R&A Woking for Golf programme that we can now revive the Irish championship.

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Mr O’Rahilly said the quality of the entry speaks highly of Irish Blind Golf’s reputation.

“Nearly 70 players and guides from 11 countries will be at Roganstown Golf and Country Club, which was designed by Christy O’Connor jnr, for the Open,

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“The event will continue our efforts to make golf accessible to blind and visually impaired golfers in Ireland.

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