Amy Bockerstette makes history, becomes first person with Down syndrome to play for NCAA title

The 22-year-old from Arizona teed off at 11:50 a.m. on Monday at the NJCAA women’s golf championships.

ORMOND BEACH, Fla. — Amy Bockerstette has made history.

The 22-year-old from Arizona became the first person with Down syndrome to compete in a college championship event on Monday when she teed off at 11:50 a.m. at Ormond Beach’s Plantation Bay.

Bockerstette is playing in the NJCAA Women’s Golf Championship along with her four Paradise Valley Community College teammates. The four-round tournament runs through Thursday.

Bockerstette shot 111 in the opening round. Seminole State’s Minori Nagano is the current leader after shooting an even-par 72.

This is Bockerstette’s third year on the team, but second full season. She made history two years ago when she joined the team, becoming the first person with Down syndrome to earn an athletic scholarship.

Bockerstette, who has been golfing since middle school, is perhaps most known for her viral video two years ago with U.S. Open champion Gary Woodland.

The two were playing a practice hole at the par-3 16th at TPC Scottsdale before the 2019 Waste Management Phoenix Open. Bockerstette hit her first shot into the bunker, but managed to save par by sinking an 8-foot putt.

Before the shot, she went viral for telling Woodland, “I got this.”

Bockerstette told The News-Journal last week that Woodland, who finished fifth at Quail Hollow over the weekend, texted her early last week to wish her good luck ahead of Monday’s tee time.

“I loved it,” she said of the par-3 moment. “It was awesome, and now we’re best friends. I’m always so happy to see him.”

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