This month, the Australian Open Blind Golf Tournament was held here in Perth, beginning on Tuesday 15 November.

The winner was Inchan Cho (Sinki Kim) from Korea with Stephen Mitchell (Kerry Allen) from NSW finishing Runner Up. The Nett Champion was Doug Burrows (Thelma Burrows) from WA and Gary Sargent (Eileen Sargent) from NSW was named Nett Runner Up.

The Australian Open Blind Golf Tournament began in Western Australian in 1988. The first event was known as the Nedlands Golf Tournament and was a 9-hole event in which Dr Haruhisa Handa, international businessman, philanthropist and golf enthusiast, participated. 

Since then the event has progressed to a 36-hole event with the first day held at Collier Park and the final day at Nedlands.

Golfers at the Nedlands Golf Course on the final day of the tournament.

Budding golfer, Suzi Westwood, 21, was happy to sit down and talk about the Championships for 2011.

After developing an eye condition called Rod and Cone Dystrophy, a degenerative offshoot of Retinitis Pigmentosa, Suzi became a member of the Association when she was eight years old.

‘I first began playing golf when I was about ten. It all started when I picked up a plastic golf club and started swinging a few times in our backyard. My dad said I had a natural swing and so I started to play,' explains Suzi.

‘In 2000 I was introduced to Ron Anderson, who at the time was the Recreation Officer at the Association for the Blind of WA. Ron started up a junior's blind golf group of about seven boys and myself, the only girl.'

‘We were all of a similar age but with varying amounts of vision. In golf there are three classifications, B1 (totally blind), B2, and B3. I am B2,' said Suzi.

‘I have been playing in the Australian Open since 2003. In 2004 I won the West Australian Blind Golf Association state masters and in 2007 the Australian Open B2 net division. Dr Handa, who has been sponsoring senior and blind golf world wide for many years, invited me over to Japan for the 2005 world senior ladies golf tournament (professionals) and I was lucky enough to play in the pro-am.'

‘Since then I have been over to Japan on three more occasions, playing in the Japan Blind Open Tournament.'

‘As a result of my golf I have met some wonderful people. I really enjoyed playing in the Golf Open earlier this month and catching up with old friends again.'

See the 2011 Australian Open Blind Golf Tournament Results.

Learn more about the Australian Open Blind Golf Tournament.

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