The G4D Tour today announced that the world’s best golfers with a disability will have the opportunity to showcase their talent in conjunction with a PGA TOUR event for the first time at the 2024 CJ CUP Byron Nelson.
Set to take place on Monday and Tuesday, 29-30 April, at TPC Craig Ranch in McKinney, Texas, host venue of THE CJ CUP Byron Nelson, the G4D Tour event will feature the top eight males and two females in the gross World Rankings for Golfers with a Disability (WR4GD), who will go head-to-head in a stroke-play format.
The Strategic Alliance between the PGA TOUR and DP World Tour provided the framework for the G4D Tour to play its first-ever event in conjunction with a PGA TOUR tournament.
Established in 2022, the G4D Tour is operated by the DP World Tour in partnership with EDGA (formerly the European Disabled Golf Association). Events are traditionally played alongside a DP World Tour tournament to boost visibility and raise awareness of the immense talent of golfers with a disability. Individuals with a physical, intellectual, or sensory disability can qualify for the G4D Tour through their performance in more than 120 world-ranked events operated globally each year. The 2024 G4D Tour schedule comprises nine tournaments held in six different countries and includes a major championship with The G4D Open in May, which is run in partnership with The R&A.
Speaking about this announcement Chris Biggins of the United States, a player on the G4D Tour and former winner of the US Disabled Open Golf Championship, said: “I am beyond thrilled that the G4D Tour is heading to the United States and the PGA TOUR. The G4D Tour has already changed my life. The Tour has grown every year, and with this huge step, it will surely skyrocket some more. It will be a dream come true to play a G4D Tour event in front of a home crowd, alongside an event I have watched since I was a kid.
“I’m especially excited about our opportunity to show Americans how incredibly impressive the golfers on the G4D Tour are. The talented golfers I have been able to compete with are a spectacle that you have to see to believe. I hope this event will inspire the next generation of adaptive athletes in America to play golf.”
Keith Pelley, Chief Executive Officer of the DP World Tour, added: “The standard of golf on the G4D Tour is remarkable and I’m delighted that the PGA TOUR has invited the leading golfers with a disability to play during one of their most historic tournaments. The G4D Tour has already had an incredible impact on growing participation. By giving these sporting heroes a new high-profile platform in the United States, we can showcase to a new generation that golf can be the most inclusive sport in the world.”
Jay Monahan, Commissioner of the PGA TOUR, added: “It is an honour to showcase the world’s best golfers with a disability at THE CJ CUP Byron Nelson for what is sure to be an exciting and memorable experience for each participant. The G4D Tour has inspired so many in its brief history, and we look forward to properly introducing these outstanding athletes to the PGA TOUR, its players, and our fans at THE CJ CUP Byron Nelson.”
Jon Drago, Tournament Director of THE CJ CUP Byron Nelson, added: “We are excited to be partnering with the DP World Tour and PGA TOUR in hosting the first US event of the G4D Tour. Byron Nelson understood better than anyone the power of this sport, and we are proud to showcase these great players just days before the PGA TOUR tees off in McKinney.”
Image: PGA Tour
