Former European Tour star Tony Johnstone has been welcomed as an official ambassador for European Disabled Golf Association, the international body that encourages people with disability to thrive through golf.
Johnstone’s appointment follows the recent one of European Tour favourite Paul Waring; demonstrating EDGA’s focus on sharing its positive message on inclusive golf to a wide audience, as the organisation works with its partners to welcome 500,000 new players with disability into the sport.
Tony Johnstone shone as a player on the European Tour in the 1980s right through to the early 2000s, winning six Tour events, and also achieving multiple wins on the Sunshine Tour. The Zimbabwean was noted for his excellent short game and topped the European Tour’s sand-save statistics in 1999, 2000 and 2001. His most notable victory was in the 1992 British PGA Championship at Wentworth after a stunning final round 65.
At the age of 49, Tony’s life took a turn that makes his new role with EDGA particularly significant. He was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. With a revolutionary drug treatment, his MS went into remission and Tony would make his European Seniors Tour debut in 2006, winning the Jersey Seniors Classic in 2008 and the Travis Perkins plc Senior Masters in 2009.
Today, Tony is a respected and popular golf analyst with Sky Sports, providing expert insight at many professional tournaments. He is also an active Ambassador for the UK’s MS Society, raising significant funds for this society through golf.
The EDGA team is now delighted to welcome Tony Johnstone to represent this not-for-profit volunteer-based association, which is made up of the National Golf Federations from 31 countries around the world.
Johnstone said: “During my career, I had the opportunity to play alongside some of the best players in the world. Seeing the way that some of the golfers with disability play blows my mind. When EDGA approached me, I looked into the association and I was incredibly impressed with its work. EDGA reaches its arms around the world and is helping to raise awareness of golf for the disabled. It is an absolute pleasure to be an Ambassador for this association.”
Tony Bennett, President of EDGA, said: “Tony has had three careers in golf, and two lives. In golf his success on the European Tour, the Seniors Tour and then in the commentary booth is testament to his tenacious character. His life before a diagnosis of MS is well documented, but it his life after for which he is most grateful. EDGA and Tony Johnstone are a perfect fit, and we are absolutely thrilled to have Tony as an ambassador for the association.”
An EDGA Podcast interview with Tony Johnstone can be found at https://bit.ly/3dDWrtA, or through your podcast provider under ‘Tough Love and Second Chances – EDGA’.