Brendan Lawlor Cruises To EDGA Dubai Finale Victory

The 24-year-old had already claimed the EDGA Cazoo Open and the ISPS HANDA World Disability Invitational, with his victory at the European Disabled Golfer’s Association (EDGA) Dubai Finale his third of the season.

Being played concurrently with the second and third rounds of the European Tour’s season-ending Rolex Series event, the DP World Tour Championship, the young Irishman showed his class over the last few holes, birdieing the 15th and 17th for a four shot win.

Now expected to return to the Number One spot in the World Ranking for Golfers with Disability (WR4GD), Lawlor said: “My ball striking has been unbelievable all week. The only bad shot I hit today was on 16. I pulled that one left but I will put that down to nerves. 

"Probably tee to green, that is the best I have ever played and I also haven’t been working much on my game. I’ve been suffering from a bad shoulder for the past six weeks and haven’t been playing.

"Maybe it’s good to have a break sometimes and forget about the clubs. So, to come out this week and play well, I am really delighted.”

Having shot a two-under-par first round, Lawlor led by two going into the final day.

However, after a level par front nine, that lead was halved to just a single shot on the 14th hole.

His nearest challenger, Kurtis Barkley , who was at two over for the tournament after the front nine, birdied the tenth to apply the pressure at the top of the leaderboard.

With Barkley at one over par, Lawlor had moved back to level, due to three bogeys and one birdie after the turn.

It was Barkley though who would slip up over the remaining holes, with bogies at the 16th and 18th resulting in a round of 75 to finish on three over par.

Lawlor, on the other hand, would birdie the 15th and 17th, either side of a bogey on the 16th, to move back to under par for the tournament, with a safe par at the last sealing a four shot victory.

With the win, the 24-year-old will receive his trophy as part of a live presentation alongside the winner of that tournament and the winner of the European Tour’s season-long Race to Dubai. 

“Hopefully the European Tour has more events next year, which I think they will, and we can keep this ball rolling, as it’s just fantastic,” said Lawlor. “I came off the green there and Rory McIlroy gave me congratulations so that is pretty outrageous. 

“I have learned a lot, and to be honest I have learned a lot since the whole EDGA events have started. Most importantly, I’ve learned to be patient. If I was in today’s situation about two years ago, I reckon I would have lost. After the few bogies I made early on, I would have lost my head.

"But I had faith in my abilities to make birdies out there and I knew I could make a few on the back nine. My Dad was very good today, he kept me calm when I needed to stay calm. It's unbelievable!"