news
Elliott wins International Blind Golf
World Championships
Gary McInnes
www.blindgolf.com.au
T
he 2014 ISPS HANDA International
Blind Golf World Championships
were held at the Nelson Bay Golf
Club in New South Wales on 15 & 16 May
2014. This event was preceded by the 2014
ISPS HANDA Australian Blind Golf Open
Championships.
Both events were net events with trophies
being awarded to the gross and net winners
and runners-up in each of the three sight
categories.
Malcolm Elliott (B2 – 45 handicap) from
Western Australia with Neville Walker as
his caddie won the ISPS Handa World
Championship with a 36-hole net score of
150. Malcolm was leading by one stroke
from Englishman Paul Appleyard (B3 – 14
handicap) after an impressive first round
score of net 71 on the par 72 course. On day
two Malcolm held his great form to come
home with a net 79 to win the title by three
strokes over Paul Appleyard.
Zohar Sharon from Israel won the B1 title,
while Malcolm and Paul won the B2 and B3
titles respectively. Jenny McCallum (B2 – 34
handicap) from Western Australia with her
husband Ian won the Ladies title with net
scores of 84 and 79.
An international stableford competition
was held on the final two days for those
players who did not qualify for the world
championships. The event was won by Kerry
Vidler from New South Wales with his wife
Sue as his caddie.
Winner of the ISPS HANDA Australian Open
was Kris Adams (B2 - 39 handicap) from
Scotland with his caddie Ken Mackenzie on
a net 36-hole score of 162. Kris was equal
leader with Paul Appleyard, and local Kerry
Vidler from New South Wales, on net 73s after
the first round. Paul Appleyard played solid
golf in the second round to be runner-up.
Brian McLeod from Canada won the B1 net
title and Kris Adam and Paul Appleyard took
out the B2 and B3 titles. Jenny McCallum won
the Ladies title with net scores of 82 and 77.
A field of 49 players including 7 women
took part in the World Championships
representing Australia, Canada, England,
Japan, Rep. of Korea, Italy, Ireland, Israel,
Scotland, South Africa, The Netherlands and
the USA. Australia had 26 entrants while
there were 5 from Canada, and Japan and
England each had 4. 52 players including 9
women participated in the Australian Open.
Full praise goes to the organising
committee and the Nelson Bay Golf Club
committee for supporting and hosting the
events. Praise also goes to the huge number
of volunteers who became involved in the
2014 ISPS HANDA International Blind Golf World Champion Malcolm Elliott (L)
with caddie Neville Walker
events as scorers, spotters, and arranging
golf bags and golf carts and lunches etc.
The next Blind Golf World Championships
will be held in Japan in 2016.
Blind golf has 3 sight categories; B1, B2 and
B3 depending on how much sight a player
has. B1 players are totally blind.
Anyone wishing to learn more about either
playing blind golf or caddying for a blind
golfer may contact Gary McInnes on
0417 055 731. They may also go to the
Blind Golf Australia website
www.blindgolf.com.au
or see www.internationalblindgolf.com
www.insidegolf.com.au | July 2014
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