For the sixth consecutive year, the WA Open will feature the All Abilities Championship for golfers with physical, mental or sensory impairments.
The 36-hole All Abilities Championship will be played on Saturday, 19 and Sunday, 20 October at the same time, on the same course and in the same conditions as the WA Open itself.
The absence of recent past winners and global All Abilities heavyweights Cameron Pollard and Lachlan Wood makes predicting a winner difficult, but it does open the door for one of the seven WA-based players to record a famous win on home soil.
One of the six is Mount Lawley’s Mark Mosbach, who only played his first All Abilities event at the 2023 WA Open. Twelve months on and he’s considered a viable contender for what he says is a ‘wide open’ championship.
Mark Mosbach (right) with Gary Burgess and Josh Jones at the 2023 WA Open All Abilities Championship
“I think it will be a very exciting competition,” he told GolfWA. “NSW’s Lachlan Smith is probably the favourite and Gary Burgess is very consistent, too, but anyone can win it and it could be very close indeed.”
Having played Mandurah Country Club for the first time last weekend, Mosbach believes his game is also in good shape for a title challenge and he’s relishing the chance to showcase what he and his fellow All Abilities golfers can do.
“It’s so good that we get to play on the same course at the same time as the WA Open field,” he added. “It’s a great opportunity for us to show that anyone, whether they have a disability or not, has the potential to play golf to a high standard and compete for title.”
The All Abilities field will tee off on Saturday and Sunday morning immediately ahead of the main WA Open field, with GolfWA’s Operations Manager Neil Goddard encouraging spectators to seek them out.
“Nothing demonstrates the inclusivity nature of golf better than the All Abilities Championship,” he said. “It is truly inspiring to see what these guys are capable of and how they have overcome their unique challenges to play golf to such a high standard.”
The WA Open will also host a demonstration by the WA Blind Golf Association from 12 noon – 1.15pm on Saturday, October 19. Spectators are welcome to come along and challenge themselves by having a swing or a putt while wearing vision-restricting goggles.
The 2024 WA Open All Abilities Championship field
Gary Burgess (SOS Golf Group, SA); Mark Mosbach (Mount Lawley GC); Frank Gaudin (Katanning GC); Tony Coates (Melville Glades GC); Rodney Sampson (Helensvale GC, QLD); Johannes Hendrik De Bruyn (Cuballing GC); Nick Panos (Lake Karrinyup Country Club); Lachlan Smith (Sawtell GC, NSW); Nick Carroll (Dunsborough Lakes GC); Bradley Scott (Busselton GC)
The Bowra & O’Dea Nexus Advisernet WA Open will take place at Mandurah Country Club from October 17-20 and is FREE for spectators to attend. Find full details about the event here.
