World’s top Special Olympics golfer moves to Krugersdorp

Tom Lugg is a man of many interests. One could listen to him speak, with vivid detail, about his love of the history of the Titanic, the Star Wars film franchise (Obi-Wan Kenobi is his favourite) and wrestling.

Tom’s dad, Mike hoped that one interest that would stick with Tom would be tennis, as Mike came from an impressive tennis background himself. But, “If I hit the ball to you and you don’t hit the ball back to me, I will be very angry!” Tom said jokingly.

A coach introduced him to golf, and when he participated in a Special Olympics trial, the game was an instant hit with him.

Soon, Tom would take on his first competition which, he proudly said, was also his first big win.

Tom spent most of his life in Centurion, and very recently moved to Krugersdorp with his parents.

Tom has Asperger syndrome, which affects a person’s ability to socialise and communicate, but that never stood in the way of his many talents, the most prominent being his golf skills.

Now, at the age of 31, Tom is the world’s top-ranked Special Olympics golfer.

In 2009 in Taipei, Taiwan, Tom managed a course score of 84, which was better than the average of nearly three-quarters of all players. In 2013, Tom posted a 67 score and earned a spot in the Sanlam SA Amateur championship (which is not classified a Special golfing event). He won the Special Olympics World Summer Games in Shanghai in 2007, and in 2011 did the same in Athens, Greece.

He has also travelled to Macau, Elsinore in Denmark, and Los Angeles in the USA. Tom practises twice a week at the Top Tee Driving Range in Krugersdorp.

Golf tournaments have had a slow go since Covid-19 started, and Tom is looking forward to getting back onto the pro circuit. He lastly explained that his biggest all-time dream is to play against Tiger Woods, and wants to put out a public challenge to one of the greatest golfers of all time.