SPANISH CHAMPION HEADS FOR SUSSEX

August 13, 2010: The reigning Spanish disabled golf champion is among the entries to the second annual Disabled British Open, to be held at East Sussex National in September.

Xavi Rubio, 44, was the first winner of the Campeonato de España de Golf Adaptado and won a trip to the 2011 Open Championship, presented to him by his country’s Ryder Cup star Sergio Garcia.

Rubio is not the only international competitor heading to Uckfield. With the field of 72 now complete, entries have been received from disabled golfers in countries as far afield as Pakistan, South Africa, Ireland and Germany.

Rubio said: “I was delighted to hear that my entry to the Disabled British Open had been successful. It sounds a fantastic event and is certainly a very worthwhile idea.

“From what I have seen and heard from other competitors it is a professionally run tournament but with the camaraderie of a big social event, which is just the way golf should be.

“My wife and I are not only looking forward to participating but also to spending some leisure time in Sussex, which I understand is a beautiful county.”

The second annual Disabled British Open (DBO) golf championship takes place on September 20-21.

Last year’s inaugural televised event at Old Thorns, in Hampshire – the largest and most inclusive event in the country for disabled golfers – proved enormously popular with all available places taken within weeks of the launch.

And this year’s event – over the 7,138-yard, Robert E Cupp-designed East course, which has hosted two European Opens – has followed suit, with the field of 72 places being filled within weeks of its launch.

The ground-breaking event was one of 15 projects delivered in the south-east last year through the Accentuate programme, set up as part of region’s drive to create a cultural shift in the way disabled people are perceived by celebrating excellence and showcasing talent, in the run-up to the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Andy Barwell, from Hampshire-based organiser the Azalea Group, said: “Golfers came from all over the UK and beyond to compete last year which made it a hugely competitive event. The quality of some of the play was quite staggering and the reaction to the television coverage on Sky Sports was huge.

“I think the reputation of the event is spreading quickly, as the number of enquiries received from disabled golfers based abroad has been phenomenal. The DBO is also a great opportunity for both able-bodied and disabled people to try golf for the first time and receive free coaching from qualified Professional Golfers’ Association (PGA) pros.”

The Disabled British Open golf championship was supported by the Accentuate programme, which aims to use the inspiration provided by the International Paralympic Movement and the unique heritage of the south-east as the birthplace of disability sport to change the lives of disabled people.

Accentuate is funded by SEEDA and Legacy Trust UK which is an independent charity set up to create a cultural and sporting legacy from the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.