Get ready for an uplifting few days of golf! The G4D Tour is heading to Sotogrande for its eighth event of the 2024 season, scheduled for October 14-15.
A group of determined and highly skilled golfers will take on the stunning course at Real Club de Golf Sotogrande.
This all unfolds just days before the DP World Tour players take their swings on the very same course.
This is no ordinary tournament. It’s the second-ever net event on the G4D Tour, a format designed to open up even more opportunities for golfers with disabilities.
It all kicked off earlier this year in Ras Al Khaimah, where South Africa’s Robin Singh celebrated a life-changing win in the tour’s first net event.
The idea is simple: give more golfers, regardless of their disability, a fair shot at competing at the highest level.
The field in Sotogrande is stacked with ten incredible athletes—eight men and two women—all ranked in the World Ranking for Golfers with a Disability (WR4GD).
Leading the charge is Italy’s Jose Bagnarelli, who’s ranked second and comes to the tournament with an incredible story.
After a motorcycle accident that left his right arm completely paralyzed, he’s back on the course, and this time, he’s got his son Bruno by his side as his caddy.
“I am so thrilled and proud to have the opportunity to be part of such an amazing event,” he said. “Just the thought of practising next to my favourite Tour champions makes me dizzy.
“Even though I like to think of myself as a citizen of the world, representing my country is always a great honour for me.
This time I will bring a special supporter from home as my son Bruno will be caddying for me during the event.”
The field is diverse and packed with talent. Joining him in the field are Robin Singh, Australian Steven Alderson, Italians Riccardo Bianciardi and Davide Fasci, New Zealand’s Guy Harrison, Frenchman Mathieu Lebon and Argentinian Joshua Exequiel Riccardo who will become the first South American player to participate in a G4D Tour event. The two female competitors are France’s Alexia Girault and Norway’s Mette Havnaas.
Bianciardi finished third in the inaugural G4D Net tournament in Ras Al Khaimah in January, and he is delighted to have been given another opportunity on the circuit for golfers with a disability.
“These events encourage us to improve ourselves and to work harder,” he said. “I was thrilled to be invited to the G4D Tour @ Estrella Damm N.A. Andalucia Masters and I can’t wait to be there.
“Golf is my rebirth where I have found personal growth, learning never to give up and remain patient.”
There’s also a historic moment on the cards, with Argentina’s Joshua Exequiel Riccardo becoming the first South American to compete in a G4D event.
On the women’s side, France’s Alexia Girault and Norway’s Mette Havnaas are ready to make their mark.
Havnaas’ journey is particularly remarkable. After losing her sight to a rare condition called Stevens-Johnson syndrome, she found golf and hasn’t looked back since.
Her passion for the sport is infectious: “I found golf after losing my sight and I love it,” she said. “I started open-minded, I didn’t know what I’d think. But it was a good feeling, and great fun. I would definitely recommend the visually impaired to try golf.
“It is a great sport where you can challenge yourself. It is a social sport where you meet many nice people, and I feel incredibly proud and grateful to participate in the G4D Tour in Spain.”
The stakes are high, too. Whoever takes the title in Sotogrande will automatically qualify for the G4D Tour Series Finale, a huge opportunity to compete at the highest level.
You can follow every moment of the action with live scoring on the DP World Tour website, and plenty of behind-the-scenes coverage across social media.
For those unfamiliar with the G4D Tour, it launched in 2022 through a partnership between the DP World Tour and EDGA (European Disabled Golf Association).
The goal? To provide top-level competition for golfers with disabilities, allowing them to play on the same courses, in the same weeks, as the DP World Tour pros.
It’s all part of a broader effort to make golf accessible to everyone, no matter their physical challenges.
Thanks to ongoing support from the European Tour group, EDGA has been able to do incredible work—raising awareness, confirming player eligibility, organising tournaments, and providing golf development and coaching programs worldwide.
If you want to get involved or learn more about how to take part in golf for disabled individuals, head over to www.edgagolf.com.
| Player Name | Country |
|---|---|
| Steven Alderson | Australia |
| Jose Bagnarelli | Italy |
| Riccardo Bianciardi | Italy |
| Davide Fasci | Italy |
| Alexia Girault (F) | France |
| Guy Harrison | New Zealand |
| Mette Havnaas (F) | Norway |
| Mathieu Lebon | France |
| Joshua Exequiel Riccardo | Argentina |
| Robin Singh | South Africa |
