Kipp Popert is hoping to make the perfect start to the new G4D Tour season by retaining his Australian All Abilities Championship title on new ground this week.
The Englishman overturned a three-shot deficit heading into the final round into a commanding seven-shot win at Victoria Golf Club in Melbourne last year.
He now takes his place in a 12-strong field – featuring the top five on the World Ranking for Golfers with Disability – ready to tee it up at The Australian Golf Club in Sydney over three days of competition.
His victory 12 months ago was one of four titles on the G4D Tour during the most recent campaign as he took his overall haul since its inception to eight.
Popert - who was born with a form of Cerebral Palsy called Spastic Diplegia and spent most of his teenage years undergoing surgery and treatment on his legs and feet - is excited by the chance to land more silverware.
“If I defend it’s an awesome achievement, but it’s just a new tournament, it’s a new year,” he said.
“To get through operations growing up I would wake up and just press on every day, do my stretches, do my golf and that’s just what I do every day. So, I guess it works quite well.”
The Australian All Abilities Championship is the first of eight events that form the 2023/24 G4D Tour schedule which spans five different countries and will visit Africa for the first time.
This week’s 54-hole tournament is played alongside the men’s and women’s Australian Open championships, which see Adrian Meronk and Ashleigh Buhai defend their respective titles.
Popert and the rest of the players here this week are flying the flag high for All Abilities golf.
“I think from our perspective, as disability athletes, we’re really appreciative to share the stage, he said.
“The men and women have worked extremely hard to grow golf to this level and for them to let us come on and show what we can do, we’re really appreciative, and also learning a lot.
“Just speaking with Adrian [Meronk] there and chatting about how we work around the golf course, I’m picking up a lot of information off these incredible players.”
Like Popert, Meronk made the ideal start to last season by claiming the first of three DP World Tour titles during the 2023 campaign.
Three of his four victories on the DP World Tour have come in national Opens and he is thrilled to play his part in a ground-breaking event for showcasing the inclusive nature of golf.
“As I said last year, I think it’s great to see the stage set up for everyone and see how everyone plays,” he said.
“For us it’s something different as well, so I really like the idea. I can see more and more players arriving from Europe this year as well to compete this year, so I think it’s a good thing.”
