A 10-strong representation from Hong Kong is just the start of what organisers hope will become the most inclusive golf championship in the world as Special Olympics celebrates 50 years in Australia.
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The Special Olympics Australia Golf Classic is being staged this week at Palm Meadows on the Gold Coast for the fourth consecutive year, the final round to take place today.
Brought forward so as not to clash with the Special Olympics National Games in Melbourne in October, this year’s Classic has attracted 55 athletes with an intellectual disability and/or autism from across Australia as well as 10 athletes from Hong Kong.
It is the first time the event has drawn international competitors, players able to earn points towards their World Ranking for Golfers with Disability as it is an officially sanctioned tournament by Golf Australia.
The youngest athlete competing across all sports at the Special Olympics National Games when he was just 16 years of age in 2014, Brisbane’s Dylan Price is no stranger to Special Olympics golf competition. After winning bronze in 2014, Dylan has added silver and gold medals since, along with a bronze medal at the Special Olympics World Games in Berlin in 2023.
He has eyes on more Nationals gold at Albert Park in October and wants to represent Australia when the World Games are held in Chile next year.
“I’m really good at my long game and my iron play game and I guess the challenge is my short game,” said Dylan, who is a member at Keperra Country Golf Club in Brisbane where he also works one day a week. “I guess I also struggle with keeping focus for the full 18 holes and everything, which is a challenge. But once I get that sorted, I should have some good rounds.”
Shortly after he was born, Dylan was diagnosed with Kabuki syndrome, a rare, multi-system disorder that is characterised by multiple abnormalities including growth delays, varying degrees of intellectual disability, skeletal abnormalities and short stature.
With the support of his parents, Dylan tried basketball, soccer and touch football before his father, Terry, suggested he try golf.
Dylan Price [centre] during the first round with Hei Wa Reginald Fong [left] and Jordy Davis [right].
Not only has Dylan’s golf dramatically improved during the past decade, his self-confidence has grown to such a level that he recently performed a stand-up comedy routine for his Chill For Autism group, an organisation that supports neurodiverse young adults with communication and social skills.
“Before he started in golf, Dylan was very introverted and didn’t really talk to too many people,” says Terry, the Queensland golf co-ordinator for Special Olympics Australia.
“It’s like he found his sport and found his tribe and he’s just come on really well. It’s been wonderful to watch him thrive but also show perseverance.
“He was the youngest competitor in Melbourne when he got bronze and then went to Adelaide to represent Queensland again and he got silver. He then went to Launceston in 2022 and won gold quite well; he was 10 shots clear. From there he got selected to go to the World Games where he got a bronze medal, so that perseverance to keep pushing and keep striving is absolutely fantastic.”
Those skills have translated to Dylan’s life away from golf, moving out of home and living independently, regularly using public transport to meet up with friends.
“Dylan’s moved into his own unit, he takes care of himself… We couldn’t have imagined that 10 years ago,” Terry adds. “Certainly, this has been a key part to Dylan thriving at his age and still wanting to do more golf.”
This year marks the first time that the Special Olympics Golf Classic has been available to non-Special Olympics members, Terry hopeful that with further growth it can be truly a tournament with no barriers to entry.
“This is the first year where we’ve opened it up to anybody that has an intellectual disability,” he explains. “That’s why we want to make it truly inclusive.
“I guess the last barrier is really an economic one. The organising committee is really grateful for all the sponsorship we’ve had to get here, both from Golf Australia and Callaway and a lot of the big sponsors who have helped us.
“We were close to making it free to play this year so we’re just striving for a bit more sponsorship. If we can make it at least free to come for the three days, then all people will have to pay is their travel and accommodation. But if we grow bigger than that, we’ll start to subsidise those costs as well.”
The 2026 Golf Classic forms part of a year-long national celebration marking 50 years of Special Olympics in Australia. The golden jubilee honours five decades of championing sports inclusion, transforming communities, and empowering athletes with an intellectual disability and/or autism.
For more information on golf within Special Olympics, click here
