Australian All Abilities Championship Becomes First IGF Counting Event Under New Rules

Golf Australia and the International Golf Federation (IGF) have announced a major milestone for para-golf inclusion, designating the 2026 Australian All Abilities Championship as the first IGF Counting Event to be played under the IGF’s new Classification Rules and Sport Classes.

This is a step that puts the sport on a direct pathway toward inclusion in the Brisbane 2032 Paralympic Games.

Confirming the ambition and the strategic importance of the Australian All Abilities Championship designation, chairman of the IGF, Guy Kinnings, said: “Golf Australia have been outstanding partners in helping us take this important step toward our Paralympic ambition.”

“We are ambitious about golf becoming part of the Paralympic Games, and we believe deeply in the contribution our sport can make,” Kinnings said.

He noted that with more than 38,000 courses in over 200 countries, the sport is a powerful vehicle for advancing the Paralympic movement.

For Golf Australia, hosting this landmark event ensures the organisation is at the forefront of the global movement.

Expressing his enthusiasm, CEO of Golf Australia, James Sutherland, added: “Australia is proud to host the first IGF Counting Event under the new Classification Rules.”

“The Australian All Abilities Championshipwill contribute directly to a potential Paralympic Games as the host nation is one of the most significant milestones for the sport,” Sutherland added.

Scheduled for late 2026 (with dates and venue to be confirmed), the Australian All Abilities Championship will be the first global competition to offer athletes and National Federations the opportunity to be classified under the new system, which is aligned with the 2025 International Paralympic Committee (IPC) Classification Code.

This move is the culmination of close work between the IGF and the IPC to refine the sport’s international events structure and classification framework, which is mandatory for building the global athlete pool and high-performance pathway required for Paralympic inclusion.

Dual paralympian and emerging para-golfer, Alexandra Viney, highlighted the social honour of the goal, stating that inclusion would open doors for so many people and show what’s possible in a truly inclusive sport, providing a highly recognisable platform for athletes like World No.1 Kipp Poppert.

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