The 23-year old Englishman rose to the top of the world rankings for golfers with a disability this year.

KIPP POPERT is determined his cerebral palsy will not stop his professional golf dream.

As he lay in bed recovering from numerous operations during his childhood, Kipp used to play out top amateur golf tournaments in his head.

The operations were designed to make day-to-day life a little easier after Kipp was diagnosed with a form of cerebral palsy called spastic diplegia, which impairs the muscular movement in his legs.  But picturing himself playing in some of the game’s biggest events is no longer necessary after a season which saw him top the world rankings for golfers with a disability and set his sights on a career in the professional game.

A final round of 66 gave Popert victory in the European Disabled Golfers Association Hero Open at Fairmont St Andrews in August, taking him to the top of the rankings and securing his place in the season finale in Dubai, where he finished tied third behind Ireland’s Brendan Lawlor.

The event took place during the European Tour’s DP World Tour Championship – Lawlor was presented with his trophy alongside tournament and Race to Dubai winner Collin Morikawa – and intensified Kipp’s ambition to qualify for the main tour himself in 2022.

“With the European Tour looking to expand and give us more of these events, I’m really excited about what I can achieve,” Kipp said. “I’ve come to these (EDGA events) for the first time and think I’m doing pretty well. I’ve been given the platform to really develop my game and I think it will be exciting what I can achieve in the future.

“I missed playing in big events for a lot of my teenage years because I was in and out of hospital and just imagined I was at them”.

“They had the disability clinic for the kids with Ian Poulter in Dubai and for those kids to actually see golf as an option is great. I never knew it was an option, I just loved it because I got to play with my dad and worked out I was okay at it.”

That is a considerable understatement considering Popert plays to a handicap of plus four, considerably lower than those held by Ryder Cup star Poulter and former Open champion Paul Lawrie when they turned professional.

“They had the disability clinic for the kids with Ian Poulter in Dubai and for those kids to actually see golf as an option is great. I never knew it was an option, I just loved it because I got to play with my dad and worked out I was okay at it.”

That is a considerable understatement considering Popert plays to a handicap of plus four, considerably lower than those held by Ryder Cup star Poulter and former Open champion Paul Lawrie when they turned professional.

Kipp also has a degree in golf manage-ment from Birmingham University to fall back on, but appears to have everything in place to help him chase his dream.

“I always knew I wanted to give this a go and the disability events came around at the right time for me,” he added. “I was going turn pro straight after university and then Covid happened, there was no money in lower-ranked pro events, so there was no real point.  I played in the Brabazon Trophy and finished 22nd and 15th in the Irish Amateur. They are the two biggest events I’ve ever entered and I felt absolutely comfortable, even though I didn’t have my best stuff.

“I’ve got my parents’ support and my club, The Wildernesse in Kent, has put together the funds to let me play this year, and what’s come around at the perfect time is the change in amateur status rules so I’m hoping to get corporate sponsorship.”

Variety Golf’s sponsorship has come at the right time, too. “I’m a great admirer of the charity and what it does and I’m only too pleased to play in their events and help raise money for Sunshine Coaches.  Anything that helps disabled youngsters has to be a good thing, as I know better than most”.#

— STOP PRESS! —

Kipp Claims G4D Tour Hat-Trick at Wentworth

Kipp claimed his third G4D Tour title of the season as he overcame World Number One, Brendan Lawlor, to win the G4D @ BMW PGA Championship at the Wentworth Club.

Kipp held a one-stroke lead after Monday’s level-par 72 on the West Course, despite having opened the tournament with back-to-back bogeys.

His double-bogey on the sixth hole during the final round saw Lawlor and Englishman Mike Browne move into contention as all three shared the lead on the tenth hole. But Popert hit back with four gains on his back nine, including a birdie on the famous 18th hole, to card a three under par 69.

The win is Kipp’s third in the space of five months, adding to his successes at the G4D @ Betfred British Masters hosted by Danny Willett and in Germany.

Kipp is one of three players already confirmed for the G4D Tour Series Finale at the DP World Tour Championship, and will be joined in the field by Browne, who won the G4D trophy at the Horizon Irish Open, and Italy’s Tommaso Perrino, who won at the ISPS HANDA World Invitational presented by AVIV Clinics.