Dundalk's Brendan Lawlor joined the Irish legends to make their mark at The Belfry in the weather-delayed ISPS Handa UK Championship.

He might have shot 84 in torrential rain, but in becoming the first disability golfer to play in a European Tour event, the Co Louth man (23) made history.

"It felt amazing, the company of Richard (McEvoy) and Jeff (Winther) was fantastic," said Lawlor, who has Ellis-van Creveld syndrome, a disability characterised by a shorter stature and shorter limbs.

"I didn't shoot the best score, but it's not about the score today. The coverage over the last few days, people texting and on Instagram, looking to get into the EDGA (European Disabled Golf Association). That's the reason why I'm here this week. It's really incredible.”

Lawlor's achievement bears comparison with those famous Ryder Cup-winning moments by Christy O'Connor Jnr and Paul McGinley, or Pádraig Harrington’s sporting acceptance of his Benson & Hedges disqualification 20 years ago for its importance.

"It's a week to change my life and other people's lives, so just go out and enjoy it and that's what I did," added Lawlor, who lies 20 shots behind South African Justin Walters.

"I didn't have any expectations of scores. I'm just so grateful to be competing on the same stage as these guys and getting opportunities like this.”

Lawlor striped his opening tee shot down the middle, then birdied the par-five and was level through five holes before the weather took its toll.

History.@BrendanLawlor97 becomes the first professional disability golfer to compete on the European Tour.@ISPSHanda #ISPSHANDAUKChampionship pic.twitter.com/S2JvyPH8tB
— The European Tour (@EuropeanTour) August 27, 2020

A triple-bogey seven at the sixth was followed by nine bogeys in teeming rain but he was not in the slightest bit discouraged.

"The back nine was a bit tough,” said Brendan, who is currently ranked fourth in the World Rankings for Golfers with Disability (WR4GD) and turned professional last September. "I got off to a flier, I was one-under after three. I really enjoyed today.”

He describes Ellis-van Creveld syndrome as “a type of dwarfism that means I have a shorter stature and shorter limbs but I’ve never let any barriers stop me. I’ve never thought of myself as any different.”

He was also born with a hole in his heart and doesn’t have any knuckles at the top of his fingers.

“It’s tough to grip the golf club because I can’t bend my fingers in or make a fist, so my two index fingers sort of hang off the club but I’ve adapted because it’s all I’ve known,” he said.

“I only got into disability golf two years ago. My auntie found EDGA on a website but initially, my mam was afraid to ask if I would try it because she thought I might be insulted. I don’t really think of myself as having a disability or being different and everything is so normal in my life but she said would you try disability golf and I thought I’d give it a go.”

On getting the call up for the event as an ambassador for the International Sports Promotion Society (ISPS), he was thrilled.

"I was jumping up and down all over the place. When I got the call I was in Lahinch with a few friends and got it when we were having dinner. Mark (McDonnell) from Modest Golf called and said an invite had been extended for the ISPS Handa UK Championship. It was just incredible. What ISPS Handa represent, they have asked me to be an ambassador this year as well. It's a great role for me and I'm enjoying it.

“The nerves... I'm still a bit shaky. No, the nerves were fine, just the usual first tee nerves. I hit a good one down the middle on the first and sort of relaxed then. I really enjoyed myself today.”

Walters made an eagle and six birdies in an eight-under 64 before the course became flooded and play was suspended for more than four hours.

Walters had just chipped in for an eagle at the 15th to get to eight-under when the rain began to fall heavily and, while he completed his round, some had yet to start theirs. When darkness fell, there were 59 players still out on course, who would return to resume their rounds at 7 am, with a 30-minute delay to round two tee times.

Frenchman Benjamin Hebert, Swede Joel Sjöholm, Zimbabwean Scott Vincent and Austrian Bernd Wiesberger all finished their opening rounds and they were Walters' nearest challengers at five under.

Ross Fisher had found himself at six under after making four birdies in a row from the 14th but he found the water on the last for a double bogey. That left him at four under alongside fellow Englishman David Dixon, two-time Major champion Martin Kaymer, Welshman Rhys Enoch, Swede Marcus Kinhult and Australian Wade Ormsby.

Scots Calum Hill and Craig Howie were also at four under and the only players in the top ten to finish their rounds after the resumption, with Howie making four birdies in seven holes following the delay.

Paul Dunne posted a stop-start 74 while Jonathan Caldwell will resume on one-under through five holes at 7 am.

Justin Walters

“In any conditions or any situation when you shoot 64, you smile. I wasn't smiling with a couple of holes to go as I started to get really wet. I wouldn't want to be out there now facing 18 holes in this weather.

“I came back out here, and I was confident. Felt like I was going to have a good run. Missed three cuts by one, made one cut and didn't finish very high. It's been really disappointing to say the least, but that's golf. Every time you expect something from it, it shows you otherwise. Just changed my outlook a little bit and freed it up. If it was going to work it worked, if it didn't there's not much I could do about it.

“Just accept what happens. I felt like I was swinging well and getting nothing out of it. When you feel like you're starting to swing well and you're not getting much you start to get a bit grumpy, expecting too much out of yourself. The little things were starting to annoy me and I thought, you know what, it's a beautiful day - or it was earlier - just go and play and see what the game brings you because you are playing well. A few putts started going in, a couple of good breaks when I hit a bad shot and got away with it. That's been lacking and to result in a 64 I'm ecstatic.” 

Bernd Wiesberger

“The rain came on pretty much on the last tee box. Not the tee shot you want to have. Bit of wind and strong rain. Unfortunately, all of us gave away shots on the last, so that didn't help for the way you walk off the course. For most of the round it was nice, not too much wind and decent weather. Just the last hole that we caught some rain. 

“I was a pro in 2008 but I played on Challenge Tour so I wasn't here, I believe that was the last time they had a British Masters here. My first time here and I just enjoyed it out there today.

“I would have taken the score beforehand. I had phases out there where everything went my way and I was scoring easily. The last four holes, it kind of broke off and felt like I lost four shots those last four holes so not that happy. All in all I've got to say it was a decent start. The game - there are a few things that can be improved in there - but decent start. 