When The G4D Open staged its inaugural edition in 2023, the event wasn’t anywhere on Lucy Leatham’s radar, but later that year she was involved in a life-changing car accident. Fast forward three years to 2026 and Lucy was making her Championship debut at Celtic Manor Resort in Wales.
Playing in her third EDGA supported tournament in three weeks, Lucy revealed that the first – the PING Scottish Open for Golfers with a Disability, held on the Eden Course at St Andrews in late April – made her feel that she had truly arrived as a player in ‘G4D’ (golf for the disabled), and she hasn’t looked back.
Lucy had been a golfer before her accident, it was time to be one again.
At the time of her accident in 2023, such were the severity of her injuries, Lucy was given a one per cent chance of survival at the scene and placed into a medically induced coma.
Despite surgeons saving her life, following 13 hours on the operating table, she required a right arm amputation above the elbow aged 34.
Finding golf again last year, Lucy practised and had lessons. She is currently playing golf with one arm but Lucy hopes to be fitted with a prosthetic that may better support her ability to play golf in the future.
Stepping up to play among a big international field of golfers in Scotland in April made her dig deep to find her courage.
“I am always one of those people who love to have a go,” said Lucy. “It didn’t really worry me as I knew I would struggle, but I love the game too much not to try. Now I will look to play more G4D and EDGA events and hopefully I can encourage a few others to try golf too.”
Among other complications due to the accident, Lucy sustained a severe brain injury, which continues to impact on many areas of her day-to-day life, including her memory, concentration, fatigue levels, and ability to process information.
As part of her continued rehabilitation, Lucy requires support and structure to help manage challenges, whilst working hard to regain independence and return to the activities she enjoys, including of course, golf.
Playing in The G4D Open in Wales only underlined her remarkable resilience as a person and golfer, as she was prepared to tackle the Roman Road Course at Celtic Manor with her recently remodelled swing. In this first-ever staging of the Championship in Wales after three years at Woburn, it was also meaningful for Lucy because she had worked for a time at the Newport venue more than a decade ago, stationed in the welcome team on The Twenty Ten Course, famed for staging The Ryder Cup in that year.
“I have great memories of Celtic Manor and I was delighted to now have the chance to come back as a player,” said Lucy.
Having initially dreamt of becoming a PGA Professional, the 37-year-old became a trained club custom-fitter for a leading manufacturer, while she also ran the pro shop at Libbaton Golf Club in Devon, near to her Exeter home.
“Golf is everything to me now,” Lucy said.
The English player was supported in her first shots and practise in golf by UK charity the Golf Trust, attending a starter event in 2025.
“I didn’t know about The G4D Open last year, but when I was told about it I wanted to enter it straight away,” said Lucy.
“I want to enter everything now, because that was what I used to be like as a golfer.
“I used to hit the ball really far with two arms, and I would love to do this again, and I love just playing and meeting new people at different courses.”
A golfer since her late teenage years, the impact of the surgery was devastating for Lucy as it brought her haulage business to a premature end.
But the sport had been in her thoughts since the early days after her accident.
“I practised my golf a lot with PGA Professional Alan Perry at Woodbury Park. He has got me playing well again and that is massively down to him. I have just joined Exminster Golf Club and James [Taverner], the Professional in the shop, has really helped me find the right clubs for my new swing.”
After April’s Scottish Open, Lucy enjoyed the EDGA Tour London Club event before heading to Wales.
Using her new clubs to complement her developing swing, Lucy was pleased with her effort in her two rounds over the Roman Road Course, but hopes for more consistency and better course management if she qualifies next year.
“Putting with one arm can also be really difficult, but I love a challenge,” said Lucy.
The Championship was of greatest value, Lucy believes, in that she could compete while meeting and talking with many golfers with a disability (80 players were present from 25 countries).
“I just love meeting people, golfers, many who’ve had a normal life and then something bad has happened to them, but they have kept on going and refused to give up. I just love people like that.”
Lucy competed in Sport Class Standing 2 at Celtic Manor. The G4D Open, staged by The R&A in partnership with the DP World Tour and supported by EDGA, had overall men’s and women’s winners and a gross prize in each of nine sport classes which cover various categories of impairment in Standing, Intellectual, Visual and Sitting.
“It’s fantastic that although there is no way I can win the overall championship, I can compete and try to win my category,” added Lucy.
“Things happen in life and I just love powering through.
“Everyone has that friend who moans about everything, and I didn’t want that to be me.
“I’m just one of the people that goes out and gets things done; people will be like, ‘oh, you can’t do that’. I’ll just go out and try it.
“I enjoy the competitive environment, but when I finish, I hit the wall through tiredness.”
Speaking to Lucy after the Championship, she added: “I loved it, loved being there, sharing stories with the players. That’s why it’s such a great sport, it brings people together. I am so proud that I gave it a go.
“I used to play off a golf handicap of 11 with two arms and now I’m off around 17. It is what it is with my injury, but now I have the chance to enjoy golf again and make new friends. I’ll play other EDGA events going forward, I just want to play more and more now.”
At Celtic Manor, Lucy was keen to talk about the spirit of others, but meeting her you realise the depth of character that makes her a golfer who people want to say hello to and learn more from, such is her enthusiasm for the game.
Because of her brain injury she has to watch out for fatigue, but on the practice day when she first arrived Lucy was only too happy to offer her time to record a TV interview about her golf and life with a BBC Wales camera crew.
If it was a tall order, Lucy didn’t blink, and answered all the questions with a smile on her face while still taking in the surroundings of Celtic Manor, and its associated happy memories.
“Would you play a few shots for us Lucy?” said the BBC reporter. Swinging her left arm, with some good timing, Lucy hit her shots on the practice range, watched on TV later by a great many people in South Wales and further afield.
Lucy Leatham summed it up for everyone: “I want to encourage others and show people that if you enjoy life you can do great things.”
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