Disabled golfer Juan Postigo Arce expects a different Ball game during G4D @ Magical Kenya Open in the next two days at Muthaiga Golf Club.
Twice a winner last season, in Abu Dhabi and Sweden, the Spaniard is teeing it up for the first time on the G4D Tour this year and relishing visiting Kenya, having twice competed in South Africa.
“It is a really exciting continent to explore,” he said ahead of the G4D Tour. “I am sure Kenya will be a different challenge to what I have experienced in South Africa but I am pleased to have the opportunity to do something different alongside the golf, like going on a safari. I’m sure it will be a great week,”
G4D has attracted 10 players with Postigo and Brendan Lawlor of Ireland teeing off last on Monday from 8:40 am onwards.
After returning from the United States earlier last week, where he played in the Pro-Am at the PGA Tour’s Waste Management Phoenix Open, the 28-year-old Postigo is looking forward to a good performance under his long-time coach Santiago Carriles.
Reflecting on his time in the States, Postigo said: “I had so much fun over there. It was a different experience from a golf perspective to the regular events on the DP World Tour. It just looked like a festival.”
Postigo Arce is hoping to emulate legendary Seve Ballesteros by winning a title in Kenya. Postigo grew up in Santander, half an hour or so from Ballesteros’ birthplace Pedreña, and it was impossible not to know about the achievements of the five-time Major champion as a child.
“To every European, Ballesteros was such an inspiration,” quipped Postigo, adding: “All of us who grew up around here tried to follow in his footsteps.”
Postigo told the European Tour website: “I know he ( Ballesteros ) won in Kenya in 1978 and it would be great to be able to bring the trophy back to Pedreña.”
Born without much of his right leg and no knee, Postigo played several sports in his youth before he tried golf at the age of 12. A year later, he came to play at Ballesteros’ home course —Real Golf de Pedreña—for the first time.
Meanwhile, further history will be made on the G4D Tour —which is visiting Africa for the first time.
Ten of the world’s best golfers with a disability will tee it up this week at Muthaiga with the two-round tourney preceding the DP World Tour.
The field of eight men and two women are set to compete in the third event of the 2024 G4D Tour season, which will also be the second Gross tournament of the campaign after last month’s G4D Tour @ Ras Al Khaimah was played with a Net format.
World Number One Kipp Popert faces stiff competition in his bid for an unprecedented ninth G4D Tour title, with seven fellow top ten players on the Gross Ranking division of the World Ranking for Golfers with a Disability (WR4GD) also competing, as well as the Dutch pair of Daphne van Houten and Marcella Neggers.
Van Houten is the leading female player on the WR4GD, and her compatriot Neggers is the fourth-highest-ranked female. “It will be the first time I’ll have played golf in Africa,” said Popert.
Tee Times
8:00:
Popert Kipp (Eng),
Biggins Chris (USA)
8:10
Wood Lachlan (Aus)
Van Houten Daphne (Ned)
8:20
Browne Mike (Eng)
Perrino Tommaso (Ita)
8:30
Barkley Kurtis (Can)
Neggers Marcella (Ned)
8:40
Lawlor Brendan( Ireland)
Postigo Arce Juan (Esp)
