“It’s because of golf that I learned the difference between the important things and the non-important things,” says Richard. A wonderful philosophy this, and how good is it that the game of golf can play such a crucial role in making life better?
Richard Kluwen was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis more than 25 years ago. His way of dealing with the disease included taking up a new sport, and he chose golf. He was inspired by the game. He will tell you that golf effectively saved his life.
By learning and playing this sport via seated golf in a powered chair, it has helped him physically and mentally, on and off the course. He now believes he is fitter than he was before and his highly positive personality effects those around him too.
Richard played has played in The G4D Open twice so far, and he would finish as champion in his sport class ‘Sitting 2’ in both 2024 and 2025.
He says: “You know the game — it’s addictive. And your mindset must be OK. That is my biggest win — not prizes or scores, but the mindset, which I take into the rest of my life. Just relax and take one thing at a time.”
A former machinist, Kluwen gradually learned to leave his career behind, make the most of passions such as golf and enjoy the life he has with his wife and three children. “It’s no exaggeration to say that golf saved my life,” he continues. “It’s because of golf that I learned the difference between the important things and the non-important things. In the beginning of my illness, I wanted to work and provide for my family, but now I know that, if you can’t do that, it’s OK.
“It took a couple of years to get my mindset from the technician always working and helping other people to being a happy house dad. Just enjoy life.”
Mentally, he felt much better, but physically it was still a struggle for Kluwen, who decided four years or so ago, with the support of a crowd-funding campaign, to undergo a stem cell transplant in Moscow. It took a full year to recover from the chemotherapy, but it has been worth it for the Tillborg man, who can now walk short distances and no longer needs to use a wheelchair at home.
He said, “The damage to my nervous system is still there, but my energy level is much higher. I can be busy the whole day now. It’s such a big difference.”
We were fortunate to congratulate Richard when he had just secured his sport class victory in The G4D Open at Woburn in 2024. He said of his performance on the course: “I held it together. We made a plan and I stuck with it. That’s the most difficult thing for me, to stick with the plan and not make any changes. When you take a chance on this course, you can be rewarded or really punished.
“However, my motivation is just to enjoy playing golf, to have fun. Of course I want to play well. I train for it, I want to play well, but to win is not my goal.”
The G4D Open, held in partnership between The R&A and the DP World Tour and supported by EDGA, is a globally prestigious but highly inclusive Championship, featuring nine sport classes across multiple impairment groups, with 80 competitors qualifying to play from all over the world. When we spoke with Richard, he was immediately thinking ahead to his return the following year.
“This is the first time I played a G4D Tour tournament and I am bedazzled. I am, really, I can’t believe that the organisation can be so well thought through. Everything is right. A lot of volunteers who will help with everything. It’s really a party to be here.”
Richard would display consummate skill in winning his title once again in 2025 (with Gross scores of 89, 92, 87 at Woburn). Adding a victory in the 2025 EGA European Individual Championship in August, he demonstrated once again how golfers can compete hard but with a smile and good grace.
At the time of writing, Richard was preparing to join up with the highly talented and supportive Dutch playing contingent who were to travel to Wales, for the fourth G4D Open, this year held at Celtic Manor for the first time. Could he win again for the hat-trick? Well, Richard, being Richard, will want to win of course, but we expect he most values a good performance first, meeting good friends on and off the course, and celebrating just how physically and mentally well this sport can make us all feel.
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