Three men left disabled after motorbike accidents have teed off at 13th Beach’s Victorian open pro-am with help from Geelong’s TAC head office.
Rochester’s Peter Hyden used a motorised golfing wheelchair allowing him to stand and swing a club, overcoming paralysis from his 2011 accident.
Healesville’s Rod Paykel also used customised equipment to play after losing the ability to use one of his arms for golf swings after crashing in 2014.
McLeod’s Scott Harris overcame the loss of one arm in a 2008 off-road smash, using specialised clubs to compete on Wednesday.
The TAC said it used its partnership with Golf Victoria and sponsorship of the Oates Victorian Open to organiser for the men to play alongside women’s professional Whitney Hillier.
Golf Victoria had an inclusion program for disabled people to “pursue the sport”, the TAC said.
“With support from the TAC, these golfers have access to the cutting-edge technology required to get them back onto the course,” a spokesperson said.
TAC chief Joe Calafiore said the initiative was all part of TAC activities to help people restore their lives after road accidents.
“We know that for many people, getting back to their everyday life roles is just as important as getting back to work, whether they are a parent, carer, community volunteer or sports club member,“ Mr Joe Calafiore
“The Golf Victoria partnership enables the TAC to help these clients realise their important goal to get back to playing golf and getting their lives back on track after injury.“
The pro-am concludes on Sunday, with 10 former winners of the men’s and women’s titles among the field of entrants.
