The EDGA is working with the Shirley Ryan AbilityLab to help more disabled golfers get qualified for competitions ©Getty Images

More disabled golfers are set to be able to earn world ranking points and enter more international events following a collaboration between the European Disabled Golf Association (EDGA) and Shirley Ryan AbilityLab of Chicago.

The two organisations have combined to create digital training and resources to teach new eligibility assessors to evaluate and classify golfers with a disability.

The objective of EDGA and its partners is to help 500,000 disabled people try the sport.

"From the outset, this partnership has aimed to help eligibility assessors better serve the growing number of golfers with a disability who we want to support, at a time when travel and face-to-face meetings have become more problematic for everyone," EDGA director of eligibility Roger Hawkes told Golf Business News.

"EDGA has long held the clinical expertise in ensuring fairness, accuracy and transparency in the eligibility of golfers with disability.

"We needed a partner to channel this expertise and the hard work of so many people into an excellent digital training programme that can be understood by a new cohort of eligibility assessors globally.

"We have been delighted to work with the team at Shirley Ryan AbilityLab, whose skill in developing online medical training is second to none.

The EDGA aims to help 500,000 people with disabilities get into golf ©Getty Images
The EDGA aims to help 500,000 people with disabilities get into golf ©Getty Images

"We have also valued their independent view of our work in eligibility.

"This partnership has turned a very difficult challenge into an exciting opportunity to help many more golfers with a disability."

The programme seeks to ensure accuracy, fairness and transparency between the assessor and golfer at all times.

Newly eligible golfers are then able to compete in a growing schedule of more than 70 EDGA international tournaments which are all supported by the World Ranking for Golfers with Disability.

Shirley Ryan AbilityLab is creating an education and training programme to be delivered online.

It is claimed that the development will increase the number of qualified eligibility assessors.

"Engagement in adaptive sports leads to healthy lifestyles and community-building,” said Prakash Jayabalan, physician-scientist director at Shirley Ryan AbilityLab, to Golf Business News.

"We are thrilled to leverage our expertise and to partner with EDGA to bring golf to more people with disability around the world."