Inside the field: G4D Tour at THE CJ CUP Byron Nelson

The G4D Tour will stage its first-ever event in conjunction with a PGA TOUR tournament at THE CJ CUP Byron Nelson, with 10 of the world’s best golfers with a disability competing in the United States.

Held April 29-30 at TPC Craig Ranch in McKinney, Texas, host venue of THE CJ CUP Byron Nelson, the new event features eight leading males and the top two females in the gross World Rankings for Golfers with a Disability (WR4GD).

Among those aiming to showcase their talent on the global stage are world No. 1 Kipp Popert, with the Englishman seeking to claim his 10th G4D Tour title.

Joining him in the field for the two-day stroke-play event are Americans Chris Biggins and Ryanne Jackson, who is the only first-time participant on the G4D Tour.

Ahead of the G4D Tour at THE CJ Cup Byron Nelson getting underway on Monday, here's a look at the 10 inspiring athletes set to tee it up.

Kipp Popert

• World ranking (gross): 1
• G4D Tour titles: 9
• Sport class: Standing 2
• Impairment: Weakness and spasticity in legs
• Nationality: English
• Age: 25

Born with cerebral palsy, Popert is a high-profile advocate for the inclusive power of golf. Despite the physical challenges he has faced growing up and overcoming multiple surgeries, he has reached the summit of the game, thriving on the international stage. Having only first heard about the competitive opportunities open to talented golfers with a disability in 2019 through EDGA, formerly known as the European Disabled Golf Association, he has since won around the world, including on no fewer than nine occasions since the launch of the G4D Tour in 2022. An inspiration to many, he competed in The Amateur Championship – organized by The R&A – last summer and challenged himself in events alongside leading professionals. Won the U.S. Adaptive Open – established by the USGA – last summer and claimed further silverware on his most recent G4D Tour start in Kenya earlier this year.

Brendan Lawlor

• World ranking: 2
• G4D Tour titles: 1
• Sport class: Standing 3
• Impairment: Short stature and limbs
• Nationality: Irish
• Age: 27

One of the most recognized golfers with a disability worldwide, Lawlor was born with a rare condition called Ellis-van Creveld syndrome, characterized by a shorter stature and shorter limbs. Since playing in his first EDGA event in 2017, the Irishman has competed around the world with great distinction. Having turned professional in 2019, he made history by becoming the first player with a disability to compete on the DP World Tour at the ISPS HANDA UK Championship in August 2020. Despite having won numerous EDGA titles over the years, including guiding his nation to win the European Team Championship in 2022, he had to wait until the inaugural G4D Open to claim his first G4D Tour title as he edged out Popert for victory. He has finished second and third in his two starts on the G4D Tour so far this season.

Chris Biggins

• World ranking: 3
• G4D Tour titles: 0
• Sport class: Standing 2
• Impairment: Weakness and spasticity in legs
• Nationality: American
• Age: 31

The American, who has cerebral palsy, will hope playing on home soil can lead to his maiden title on the G4D Tour after a series of strong results. With top-five finishes in his last three G4D Tour starts, he is among the most consistent performers in the game. He claimed victory at the EDGA Cazoo Classic in 2021, which coincided with an event on the DP World Tour at London Golf Club. Away from competition, he is the director of player development at The Country Club of Birmingham in Alabama. In that role, the 2019 U.S. Disabled Open Golf Association Championship winner coaches youngsters.

Juan Postigo Arce

• World ranking: 4
• G4D Tour titles: 2
• Sport class: Standing 1
• Impairment: Leg length difference
• Nationality: Spanish
• Age: 28

Born without much of his right leg and no knee, the incredibly talented Spaniard is another of the leading ambassadors in the game. Born in the same part of Northern Spain as Seve Ballesteros, he has received widespread acclaim and continues to play an important role in raising awareness about the great number of players with a disability competing competitively. A proven champion, having been a three-time successive winner of the European Golf Association’s (EGA) European Championship for Golfers with Disability, Postigo Arce has since won twice on the G4D Tour – with both occasions coming last season in Abu Dhabi and Sweden respectively. He competed in the "Champions Challenge" on the eve of The 150th Open Championship at St Andrews in 2022.

Kurtis Barkley

• World ranking: 6
• G4D Tour titles: 0
• Sport class: Standing 3
• Impairment: Spinal stiffness
• Nationality: Canadian
• Age: 36

One of four players in action this week without a victory on the G4D Tour, Barkley was born with scoliosis (curvature of the spine). Having grown up in the countryside in Williamsburg, Ontario, he has since become one of the leading golfers with disability, sharing a locker room with Rory McIlroy. In a Player Blog with the DP World Tour last year, Barkley revealed he has learned to live in “constant pain” with muscle aches and arthritis making sleeping a challenge. Proud to compete against the best on a global stage, the Canadian arrives in America with five top-three finishes in his last six G4D Tour starts, with his next goal to claim an elusive first win.

Mike Browne

• World ranking: 7
• G4D Tour titles: 2
• Sport class: Standing 2
• Impairment: Amputation above knee
• Nationality: English
• Age: 46

Like his counterparts, Browne’s story is inspiring. A former soldier, the Englishman had his left leg amputated from the knee down following an infection that arose after a training accident almost a decade ago. Despite only starting to play golf in 2014, he turned professional in 2016. One of the longest drivers in the world, he first tasted success on the G4D Tour during its inaugural season in Ireland in 2022. A second followed last year over Jumeirah Golf Estates’ renowned Earth Course in Dubai, where he was the only player in the field to finish under par in the weather-shortened event.

Tomasso Perrino

• World ranking: 8
• G4D Tour titles: 1
• Sport class: Standing 3
• Impairment: Weakness and stiffness of the lead leg
• Nationality: Australian
• Age: 39

Perrino competed against major champion and compatriot Francesco Molinari as a boy, but a motor scooter accident aged 18 curtailed his progress. Already a winner on the G4D Tour, having won in Northern Ireland in 2022, he has since become one of the most consistent performers. In 2023, he recorded top-five finishes in five consecutive G4D Tour appearances and became the first Italian to win the EGA’s European Championship in the Netherlands last July. Perrino featured in the All-Star Match ahead of the 2023 Ryder Cup at Marco Simone Golf & Country Club alongside Popert and fellow sportsmen such as Novak Djokovic and Gareth Bale.

Lachlan Wood

• World ranking: 9
• G4D Tour titles: 1
• Sport class: Standing 3
• Impairment: Weakness and stiffness of the lead leg
• Nationality: Australian
• Age: 33

When aged 16, Wood was seriously injured in a car accident, resulting in his left leg being held together by 14 screws and a metal plate, while he has so far faced more than 40 surgeries. The leading player on the established World Ranking for Golfers with Disability from Australia, he is looking to continue his impressive start to the 2024 G4D Tour campaign. He secured his maiden win at the Australian All Abilities Championship @ the ISPS HANDA Australian Open in December, before finishing runner-up to Popert in Kenya in February.

Daphne van Houten

• World ranking: 9
• G4D Tour titles: 0
• Sport class: Standing 3
• Impairment: Spinal stiffness
• Nationality: Dutch
• Age: 25

A routine physical screening at just 12 years old found a life-changing issue in van Houten’s back. She became the first woman to break into the top 10 of the World Ranking for Golfers with Disability in mid-2019. She was part of the inaugural field on the G4D Tour at The Belfry in 2022 and made her most recent appearance in Kenya. She won the EGA's Champion Women Golfer with Disability in 2018 and is a key member of the Dutch national setup. Her golfing hero is compatriot Anne van Dam, who plays on the Ladies European Tour and LPGA.

Ryanne Jackson

• World ranking: 66
• G4D Tour titles: 0
• Sport class: Standing 1
• Impairment: Muscle weakness in arms and legs
• Nationality: American
• Age: 26

Jackson has muscular dystrophy, a condition which causes the muscles in her shoulders and legs to weaken over time. While she first picked up a club at the age of 2, it was when she was 6 that she began the play sport regularly and declared herself a "lefty" despite being right-handed. Coached from a young age by her father, like both her older sisters, her diagnosis only came in her freshman year a college after struggling to understand the cause of physical tiredness she suffered from. Won the U.S. Adaptive Open at Pinehurst last summer and is now set for her debut on the G4D Tour.

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 by The R&A and the DP World Tour.