Welcoming Dr Tony Bennett.

Tony brings an exceptional blend of international professional leadership, academic expertise, and longstanding commitment to inclusion development in sport. He completed his PhD at Durham University in 2022, where his research examined player journeys for golfers with a disability, under the supervision of Professor Brett Smith. This work is closely aligned with both Tony’s professional career and the department’s core values, particularly around inclusive practice, applied research, and meaningful engagement between academia and the sporting world.

An international leader in golf and sport for the disabled.

Tony is widely recognised as an international leader in golf development, coaching, coach education, training standards, and inclusion, with professional delivery experience. He currently serves as President of the European Disabled Golf Association (EDGA), a not-for-profit organisation that has grown into the world’s leading authority for golf for those with disabilities, working alongside national federations across five continents. Under Tony’s leadership, EDGA has played a central role in the development of sport classes, a classification system, global competition pathways, coach education programmes, and advocacy initiatives that have significantly advanced opportunities for golfers with a disability.

From 2019 to April 2025, Tony also held the role of Head of Disability and Inclusion at the International Golf Federation (IGF), the recognised international federation within the Olympic and Paralympic Movement.

In both roles, he worked closely with governing and non-governing bodies, senior stakeholders, and international partners to improve accessibility, strengthen participation, and ensure that rules, governance, and competition structures adequately reflected the needs of golfers with a disability.

Tony’s impact on the game is systemic, reflected in the growing number of golfers with a disability, the increasing commitment of national federations to inclusion, and the greater opportunities now available for players to pursue their competitive ambitions.

Academic Journey.

Alongside his sector leadership, Tony has a strong and sustained academic profile. In addition to his Durham PhD, he holds an MPhil from the University of Birmingham, focusing on career decisions in professional golf. His research and publications address topics including disability sport participation, coaching practice, inclusion, health, and performance, and he has been a regular conference speaker for many years.

Tony’s research is grounded in real world contexts and has directly informed practical systems such to create international eligibility frameworks, world ranking structures, and competition pathways for golfers with a disability.

Looking ahead.

As a Professor in Practice, Tony will contribute extensively to the department’s teaching, research, and student development activities.

Tony’s appointment reflects a shared commitment to inclusive excellence, applied scholarship, and global engagement. His extensive international experience, combined with his academic insight and passion for education, will provide significant benefits to students and staff alike.

We are thrilled to welcome Tony back to Durham in this new role and look forward to the impact his expertise and vision will have across the department and wider university community.