More than a new name for the championship
At a 2 November 2026 press conference in Tokyo, ISPS HANDA founder and chairman Haruhisa Handa and The R&A chief executive Mark Darbon discussed a new partnership for The G4D Open, the international championship for golfers with disabilities. The event will carry the name ISPS HANDA G4D Open, with measures intended to reduce a specific financial barrier and recognise contributions to inclusive golf.
The R&A's commercial partnerships director Henry Keeling also attended. Japanese reporters covered the remarks on 2 November, and The R&A featured the partnership announcement on its official website on the same date.
What competitors will receive
The clearest commitment is that ISPS HANDA will pay the full entry fee for every G4D Open competitor. That can ease access to international competition, but the announcement refers specifically to entry fees. It does not promise to cover travel, accommodation, equipment or every other expense incurred by players.
The partnership also introduces an annual monetary ISPS HANDA Inspiration Award recognising someone whose work has advanced golf for people with disabilities beyond their own competitive achievements. The reports reviewed did not specify the award's amount or its final selection procedure.
Established in 2023, The G4D Open is staged by The R&A and the DP World Tour with advisory support from EDGA. The championship brings together men and women, professionals and amateurs, and has featured a field of up to 80 players. Title sponsorship alone does not change the sport classification rules or establish a new competition format.
Handa's motivation goes back nearly four decades
Handa recalled meeting a blind golfer almost 40 years ago. Seeing the player's enjoyment helped shape his belief in supporting opportunities for people with disabilities to take part in golf. His message connected elite events to the broader ability to enjoy and pursue the sport.
He also spoke about the long-held aspiration to see golf included in the Paralympic Games. This was an ambition, not confirmation of inclusion in the programme of any future Games.
Darbon stressed The R&A's objective of making golf accessible to more people worldwide and using championships to encourage participation. He described the partnership as a way to develop The G4D Open further, rather than claiming that the wider challenges of disability golf had already been solved.
The limits of the announcement
Removing entry fees and recognising volunteers, organisers or advocates may have tangible effects. Yet the announcement does not itself restore a full G4D Tour schedule, set new eligibility criteria or guarantee that every player's travel will be funded.
The next details worth following are the championship's official entry terms, arrangements for fee coverage and rules for the new award. Until formally issued, these should not be treated as rules already in force.
Sources: on-site coverage of the Tokyo conference — ALBA Net, 2 November; organiser announcement — The R&A; agreement details and responses — Golf Business News.
