Dubai, UAE – The DP World Tour and Heroes of Hope, a non-profit sports academy for people of determination in the UAE, have teamed up to offer young athletes a chance to shine both on and off the golf course.

As part of the initiative, 11 Heroes of Hope athletes aged between 6-43 years old, received a series of eight lessons from professional coaches in the lead up to this year’s DP World Tour Championship, Dubai which took place at Jumeirah Golf Estates between 16-19 November. Their final lesson was delivered by golfer Tommy Fleetwood and this year’s G4D Tour Series Finale winner Mike Browne, with the penultimate session led by G4D world number one Kipp Popert.

The coaches were so impressed with the athletes’ ability that two Heroes of Hope, Marwan Al Khaja and Thomas O’Brien, were awarded an annual golf scholarship at the Tommy Fleetwood Academy, based at Jumeirah Golf Estates. Both were presented with their scholarships during the academy’s first birthday celebrations on 13 November.

In addition to receiving a series of golf lessons, the Heroes of Hope athletes, who have a range of physical and cognitive disabilities, were invited to attend the DP World Tour Championship as part of its Community Day celebrations, where they enjoyed the on-course action and showcased their skills in a three hole challenge on the driving range.

Tom Phillips, Head of Middle East for the DP World Tour, shared his thoughts: “Working with Heroes of Hope reflects the DP World Tour’s commitment to making golf more inclusive and accessible through the Golf for the Disabled initiative. Our aim is to provide players of all abilities with the opportunity to experience the joy of golf and sport, and it’s a pleasure to be able to work with all the incredible Heroes of Hope athletes. We hope the work we do shows the many opportunities available to them both on and off the golf course.”

Mike Browne said: “Having the chance to meet and work with the Heroes of Hope athletes has been an absolute privilege and I have loved every minute of it. Programmes like this are incredibly important for offering young athletes with disabilities the opportunity to showcase their talent, and help them build confidence and skills that will serve them well in everyday life. All the athletes here are amazing and I’m looking forward to hopefully playing alongside some of them one day on the G4D Tour.”

Hollie Murphy, Founder of Heroes of Hope, added: “Teaming up with the DP World Tour for the second year running has been absolutely brilliant for our athletes and support staff at Heroes of Hope. The Tour is doing fantastic work with the European Disabled Golf Association to provide opportunities for people of determination, which is key for ensuring athletes have access to an inclusive environment that will help them grow and discover things they are passionate about. G4D professionals like Mike Browne and Kipp Popert are role models for our athletes, so to be taught by them really is the icing on the cake.”

As part of its Golf for Disabled (G4D) initiative, the DP World Tour and European Disabled Golf Association (EDGA) in 2019 committed to holding G4D Tour events on the same golf course during the weeks of DP World Tour competitions for the leading players from the World Ranking for Golfers with a Disability. This year’s DP World Tour Championship hosted the G4D Tour Series Finale on Saturday 18 November, with Browne sealing a three-stroke victory on the Earth course.

Heroes of Hope is a not-for-profit group founded to develop sporting, social and interpersonal skills for people of determination. The organization serves athletes as young as four, however the focus is on individual athlete progression across many sporting disciplines and ability levels while catering to all ages, including adults.

This year’s DP World Tour Championship marked the 15th edition of the tournament and saw Nicolai Højgaard crowned Championship winner at the event’s infamous Earth course.

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About the DP World Tour

The DP World Tour is the main men’s professional golf Tour of the European Tour group, with a global schedule featuring a minimum of 39 tournaments in 26 different countries across the 2023 season.
 
Formerly known as the European Tour, which was established in 1972, the 2023 DP World Tour schedule includes five Rolex Series events, along with four Major Championships, one World Golf Championship event, as well as tournaments staged around the world with a minimum prize of $2million for all events solely sanctioned by the DP World Tour.
 
The season concludes with the final Rolex Series event, the DP World Tour Championship, Dubai, where the winner of the Tour’s season-long competition, the Race to Dubai Rankings in partnership with Rolex, will be crowned.
 
DP World, the leading provider of global smart end-to-end supply chain and logistics solutions, is the title partner of the DP World Tour, which is administered by the European Tour group.

About the European Tour group

The European Tour group is the overarching corporate brand which administers four competition brands: the DP World Tour, the Challenge Tour, the Legends Tour and, along with the PGA of America, is the Managing Partner of golf’s greatest team contest, the Ryder Cup.
 
Established in 1972, the European Tour group is committed to ‘Driving Golf Further’ through our guiding principles of being innovative, inclusive and global.
 
Innovative: We are driving innovation in golf through the creation of award-winning content, pioneering tournament formats and the use of the latest technology and inventive fan engagement. We are committed to attracting new audiences whilst respecting the tradition of our sport.
 
Inclusive: We are committed to include all who share a love for the game of golf. We are passionate about a closer collaboration with the women’s game, golf for the disabled and promoting the many physical and mental health benefits of playing golf. 
 
Global: Since 1972, players from 38 different countries have won tournaments on our main Tour, while our live broadcast reaches more than 490 million homes in more than 150 countries every week, generating in excess of 2,200 global broadcast hours for each event. We also enjoy the support of many of the world’s leading business brands with DP World, Rolex, BMW, Emirates, Fortinet, Hilton and Zoom as Official Partners.
 
 The European Tour group has Strategic Alliances with the PGA TOUR, the Sunshine Tour and ISPS Handa PGA Tour of Australasia, while  we ensure we have a positive long-term impact on the courses, countries and the communities we visit through ‘Golf for Good’, the umbrella name for the European Tour group’s commitment to ‘Driving Golf Further’ in an environmentally and socially sustainable way.

About the Rolex Series

The Rolex Series is the premium category of events on the DP World Tour, comprising five tournaments in 2023, staged in a variety of world-class golfing locations around the globe, each with a minimum prize fund of US$9 million and 9,000 Race to Dubai points available.
 
Showcasing innovation, enriched media, content and broadcast coverage, and a superior event experience for the world’s top players, the list of Rolex Series Champions includes some of golf’s most distinguished names.
 
The Rolex Series was launched in 2017, coinciding with the 20th anniversary of Rolex’s enduring partnership with the European Tour group.
 
In 2023, the Rolex Series comprises; the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship (January 19-22), the Hero Dubai Desert Classic (January 26-29), the Genesis Scottish Open (July 13-16) the BMW PGA Championship (September 14-17) and the season-ending DP World Tour Championship, Dubai (November 16-19), where the winner of the Race to Dubai in Partnership with Rolex will be crowned.