Australian All Abilities Open brings world’s best golfers to Sandhurst

The 54-hole stroke play championship will feature 43 athletes competing across eight IGF Sport Classes, with the Men’s and Women’s Open titles and combined Sport Class honours up for grabs.

The event marks a significant milestone in golf’s Paralympic ambitions, serving as the first of a growing number of international events to be contested under the new IGF Classification Rules.

The framework is expected to expand across Oceania, Africa, Europe, the Americas and Asia, creating greater access to international classification opportunities for elite athletes with disability and helping build the global athlete pool needed to support golf’s ambition of Paralympic inclusion at Brisbane 2032.

How does the competition work?
The Australian All Abilities Open will be played over three rounds of 18 holes, with athletes competing for the Men’s and Women’s Open titles, as well as honours across the combined Sport Classes.

Each athlete is allocated to one of eight IGF Sport Classes, based on how their impairment impacts their ability to play golf.

The eight Sport Classes are divided into four categories:
• Seated (two classes): Athletes who play from a seated position or use a wheelchair.
• Standing (three classes): Athletes with physical impairments who play from a standing position.
• Vision (two classes): Athletes with varying degrees of vision impairment.
• Intellectual (one class): Athletes who meet the IGF’s eligibility requirements for intellectual impairment.
The eight Sport Classes are grouped into four combined competition classes, with players competing from designated tee positions to accommodate their respective classifications.

How does Sandhurst Club accommodate the different Sport Classes?

Sandhurst Club’s North Course has been specifically configured to accommodate the requirements of the championship.

Each hole features four tee complexes, providing separate tee positions for the tournament’s four combined competition classes.

This allows athletes across the Seated, Standing, Vision and Intellectual categories to compete on a course configured to meet their respective classification requirements.

Welcoming the world’s best

The championship has attracted a strong international field, including four of the world's top 10 players in the World Ranking for Golfers with a Disability (WR4GD).

Kipp Popert (England) – World No.1
The world’s highest-ranked golfer with a disability headlines the international field, travelling from England for the championship. Born with cerebral palsy, Popert is a three-time U.S. Adaptive Open champion (2023, 2024 and 2025) and claimed the G4D Open title in 2024.

Simon Seungmin Lee (South Korea) – World No.2
Lee will travel from South Korea to compete at Sandhurst Club. Diagnosed with autism, he has established himself among the sport’s elite, winning the inaugural U.S. Adaptive Open in 2022, the 2025 Australian All Abilities Championship and the 2026 G4D Open.

Lachlan Wood (Australia) – World No.5
Australia’s highest-ranked player in the WR4GD will lead the local contingent on home soil. Wood sustained extensive injuries to his left leg in a serious car accident as a teenager, undergoing more than 30 operations. Since returning to golf, he has emerged as one of the sport’s leading players, highlighted by victory at the 2023 Australian All Abilities Championship.

Brendan Lawlor (Ireland) – World No.6
One of the sport’s most accomplished international players, Lawlor will travel from Ireland for the championship. Born with Ellis-van Creveld syndrome, a rare genetic condition, he has twice claimed the prestigious G4D Open title, winning in 2023 and 2025.

Jeongwon Han (South Korea)
One of the leading women in the international field, Han will travel from South Korea to compete at Sandhurst Club. With a leg impairment, she boasts a +6 handicap – the lowest of any player in the field, across both the men’s and women’s competitions.

Coco Tsoi (Hong Kong)
Travelling from Hong Kong, Tsoi lives with idiopathic ataxia, a rare neurological condition affecting her balance, coordination and lower limb control. She uses elbow crutches to walk and has embraced golf as a way to build confidence and compete on the international stage.

Spectator information
• Entry: Free for all spectators.
• Start time: Play begins from 8:00am each day across all three rounds.
• Food and beverage: Available to purchase at the venue.
• Parking: Complimentary on-site parking is available.

IGF Classification Rules
The new IGF Classification Rules have been developed in alignment with the International Paralympic Committee’s (IPC) 2025 Classification Code.

All athletes must undergo an IGF classification assessment to determine their eligibility and Sport Class before competing.

For more information about the classification process, visit the IGF website.