Category: U.S. Adaptive Open

Kipp Popert, Bailey Bish claim 2024 U.S. Adaptive Open titles at Sand Creek Station in Kansas

What a pair of performances in Kansas.

NEWTON, Kan. — Kipp Popert and Brendan Lawlor embraced each other walking up the 18th fairway, then they marched toward the green.

Sitting in a bowl, the two were the main actors in an amphitheater of patrons surrounding the putting surface, the stage where Popert was closing on on etching his name even deeper into USGA lore.

Popert, 25, won the 2024 U.S. Adaptive Open on Wednesday at Sand Creek Station, going back-to-back at the event. The Englishman shot 14 under for the week, a scoring record that included a birdie on the final hole. Playing in the neurological impairment category, Popert is the first player to win the overall competition back-to-back, and he did it in style.

U.S. Adaptive Open: Videos | Photos | Men’s scoring | Women’s scoring

“I was looking at the medal on my neck, and I can’t wait to get it back home with the other one,” Popert said.

Popert shot under par every day at the Adaptive Open, including a 7-under 65 in the opening round to take command and go wire-to-wire. He won by four shots over 2022 and inaugural Adaptive Open champion Simon Lee from Korea.

He had a slight hiccup on the par-5 10th hole, the toughest of the week for everyone in the field, making double bogey. But that miscue helped him refocus heading down the stretch.

“I enjoy all of the pressure,” Popert said. “I was like, ‘All right, let’s go show them that we’re still winning this thing despite a little trip up.'”

Kipp Popert raises his hat after finishing his round on the 18th hole during the final round of the 2024 U.S. Adaptive Open at Sand Creek Station in Newton, Kansas, on Wednesday, July 10, 2024. (Jeff Haynes/USGA)

Bish wins women’s title

On the women’s side, Bailey Bish scripted an amazing story of her own along the Sand Creek.

Two years ago, she watched the Adaptive Open on TV unable to compete because her body couldn’t handle playing more than nine holes at a time.

On Wednesday, as Bish rode her cart up to the 18th green, she did shot with a four-shot lead en route to securing the biggest victory of her life.

“If you told me three years ago that I would be the U.S. Adaptive Open champion I would never have believed it,” Bish said. “I don’t have words to describe how amazing it is that adaptive golfers are now being recognized in the same way Annika Sorenstam and other very accomplished golfers are.”

Also competing in the neurological category, Bish, from Tucson, Arizona, got off to a rough start Wednesday, and she headed to the fourth tee box 4 over and her lead much smaller than when she teed off roughly 40 minutes before.

She never got flustered. She and her caddie, coach Susie Meyers, had a plan and never wavered. She bounced back on the par-5 fourth, making the first eagle of her life.

Bailey Bish plays a shot on the 10th hole with train in the background during the final round of the 2024 U.S. Adaptive Open at Sand Creek Station in Newton, Kansas, on Wednesday, July 10, 2024. (Kathryn Riley/USGA)

“I learned that it’s hard to play golf, and even if there is challenges, you can push back and keep going,” Bish said on what she learned about herself this week. “The mistakes will get overwritten by other accomplishments.”

Bish, 24, finished the round with eight straight pars, including nearly driving the 18th green. When she tapped in to clinch her victory, the audience rained down celebration as Bish and Meyers embraced.

“We have an amazing camaraderie in the adaptive golf community,” Bish said. “Having their support with the win like this is absolutely incredible. They saw me when I wasn’t able to play nine holes back to back.

“I think showing my growth is really inspiring to many people in the community.”

2024 U.S. Adaptive Open results by category

Intellectual impairment

Men: Simon Lee (10 under)

Women: Natasha Stasiuk (32 over)

Lower limb impairment

Men: Mike Browne (5 under)

Women: Kim Moore (12 over)

Multiple limb amputee

Men: Issa Nlareb (6 under)

Women: Rose Veldman (35 over)

Neurological impairment

Men: Kipp Popert (14 under)

Women: Bailey Bish (8 over)

Seated players

Men: Max Togisala (7 over)

Women: Annie Hayes (53 over)

Short stature

Men: Brendan Lawlor (9 under)

Upper limb impairment

Men: Chris Willis (2 under)

Women: Cathy Walch (46 over)

Vision impairment

Men: Kiefer Jones (13 over)

Women: Amanda Cunha (21 over)

The U.S. Adaptive Open is one of 15 championships conducted by the U.S. Golf Association. The third version of this event started with 96 golfers across eight impairment categories, each one awarding prizes with an overall men’s and women’s winner also crowned after 54 holes.

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Photos: 2024 U.S. Adaptive Open at Sand Creek Station

It’s time for one of the best events of the year.

NEWTON, Kan. — It’s time for one of the best events of the year.

The 2024 U.S. Adaptive Open gets underway Monday at Sand Creek Station. It’s the third edition of the championship that puts the best disabled golfers in the world – 96 in total – in the spotlight. On Sunday, players got their last bit of preparation in before the opening round.

This is the first year the championship has hit the road, with the first two editions being contested at Pinehurst No. 6 in North Carolina. It’s also the first year players had to qualify to get into the event, with six qualifiers taking place across the country.

The field is spread across eight categories: Upper Limb Impairment, Intellectual Impairment, Lower Limb Impairment, Multiple Limb Amputee, Neurological Impairment, Seated Players, Short Stature and Vision Impairment.

U.S. Adaptive Open: Videos | Men’s scoring | Women’s scoring

Here’s a look at the best photos from the 2024 U.S. Adaptive Open:

From sleeping on the streets to multiple amputations, Issa Nlareb had an incredible journey to the U.S. Adaptive Open

“No, I don’t have fingers or legs, but life is happy. Playing golf, enjoying it.”

NEWTON, Kan. — For 12 years, Issa Nlareb has held on to a Tiger Woods ball marker a friend gave to him.

“When I arrive in the United States, I will wear it,” Nlareb told his friend.

This week, he finally got to showcase it.

Nlareb is competing in the 2024 U.S. Adaptive Open at Sand Creek Station in Kansas. It’s his first time in the United States, and he is the first player from Cameroon to compete in the event. His journey to middle America is about as incredible as his golf game, all of which was nearly taken from him after contracting bacterial meningitis in 2017.

“The way Tiger would come back after all of the things, it just gives me the courage to continue,” Nlareb said.

Dream of golf in the U.S. fulfilled

Nlareb has long dreamed to come to America to play golf. It wasn’t until this week he got his chance.

Growing up in Africa, Nlareb was 11 years old when his mother died, leaving him homeless. It’s then when he said he had to choose between a life on the streets or picking golf balls and working for food.

He chose golf.

U.S. Adaptive Open: Videos | Photos | Men’s scoring | Women’s scoring

After a couple years, he became a caddie, and his love for the game only grew. He started to play the game, and slowly but surely became good enough to play on the Alps Tour.

In 2017 while competing at the Ein Bay Open in Egypt, Nlareb contracted bacterial meningitis, and it put him into a four-day coma.

“When I woke up, all of my extremities had necrosis,” Nlareb said.

That’s when he had to make a choice to have both of his legs amputated and all but two of his fingers on his right hand.

“It was tough, tough, tough,” Nlareb said.

His golfing career was put on the back burner. But he wanted to stay in the game. So he got into coaching to help teach others and share his love for the sport.

The road back to the game

A couple of years went by, and Nlareb had an itch he just couldn’t scratch.

He missed competition. He wanted to play again. Even though he knew how difficult it would be.

He started competing and realized he still had game. He started to get his feelings back and slowly started rising in the World Ranking for Golfers with Disability.

“When I realize I could play again, I really decided to focus,” Nlareb said. “Golf is like riding a bicycle. You can just swing your swing.”

Before his injury, he was the top-rated player in Africa. When he returned, he quickly became one of the best disabled players in the world.

“It was easy for me to return because golf never got out of my brain.”

Becoming an inspiration

Nlareb quickly realized people were looking up to him.

They saw a guy with no legs, hardly any fingers and he was still smashing the golf ball and playing well.

“Just the image itself speaks,” Nlareb said of his playing abilities.

Last year, he began to be an ambassador for the disabled golf community as well as a motivational speaker. He went to churches and schools. When Nlareb spoke, demonstrated his swing and shared his story, others cried.

“Even when I don’t speak, they call me and say, ‘Issa, I watched you on TV and it was amazing. You changed my life,'” Nlareb said.

“No, I don’t have fingers or legs, but life is happy. Playing golf, enjoying it. Every time is tough, but I keep on smiling to speak to the people.”

An invitation that was life-changing

When Nlareb’s plane arrived in Chicago for this trip, it was a life-long dream realized.

For years, he had been working to get to the United States to play golf. Yet he faced numerous challenges even outside of his disability. He didn’t have any money or sponsorships. He played throughout Europe, but getting to the U.S. was a different challenge.

When he got the invitation to play this week, it was a life-changing moment.

“If you asked me in the last three weeks if I was coming to the U.S., I would’ve said no,” Nlareb said. “When I landed, I realized this is my home. This is where I get to play golf.”

Nlareb opened with a 1-under 71 on Monday. He was one of 10 players to shoot under par in the first round and is T-8 in the overall men’s standings. He’s T-2 in the multiple limb amputee category.

Every time he sets his ball marker down, it’s a reminder to him about everything he has fought through, from sleeping on the streets, to battling back after losing his legs and most of his fingers.

Nlareb’s journey hasn’t been the easiest. But it has led him to Sand Creek Station where he has a chance to win the biggest championship for disabled golfers in the world.

“When I am in trouble, I don’t think if I will hit a bad shot or make double bogey,” Nlareb said. “I think about how I am still alive and can do anything.”

Bailey Bish watched the U.S. Adaptive Open on TV 2 years ago. Now she leads after the opening round

“To do all of this hard work and see that it has paid off, it’s incredible.”

NEWTON, Kan. — Two years ago, Bailey Bish watched the U.S. Adaptive Open on TV. It’s all she could do.

She couldn’t apply to play because she couldn’t complete 54 holes of play, let alone nine.

Now, she’s leading by a big margin after the first round.

Bish, 24, shot 3-under 69 on Monday at Sand Creek Station in the opening round of the 2024 U.S. Adaptive Open. Bish’s previous career best was a 71. She has a six-shot advantage in the overall women’s competition with 36 holes to go. The 69 also is the new best women’s round at the U.S. Adaptive Open by four shots.

U.S. Adaptive Open: Videos | Photos | Men’s scoring | Women’s scoring

“I had a great round today,” Bish said. “I started off a little rough with a bogey and then a par and another bogey, but I pulled it together and was able to finish strong.”

Bish, who’s competing under the neurological impairment category, won the inaugural Florida Adaptive Open in the fall and has started competing more often as her game has progressed.

Brendan Lawlor and Bailey Bish hug after the end of their round during the first round of the 2024 U.S. Adaptive Open at Sand Creek Station in Newton, Kan. on Monday, July 8, 2024. (Jeff Haynes/USGA)

She said Sand Creek Station sets up well for her as a flatter golf course. If she had any issues Monday, it didn’t show in her score.

“Last year, I was struggling to finish. I was barely hanging on the last few holes of each round,” Bish said. “This year, I’ve really been able to finish a lot stronger beteween physical therapy and other treatments I’ve been receiving. I’ve improved a lot more.”

Bish bogeyed two of her first three holes but managed to shoot 1 under on the back, her opening nine. Then she turned and added three more birdies to one bogey, and it adds up to her best round ever in the biggest championship of her life.

“To do all of this hard work and see that it has paid off, it’s incredible,” Bish said.

As U.S. Adaptive Open hits the road, it’s a home game for the lone Kansan in the field

The Adaptive Open is unlike any of the other U.S. Golf Association championships.

NEWTON, Kan. — Hosting an Adaptive Open is unlike any of the other U.S. Golf Association championships.

When dealing with athletes who have visual impairment or are seated no matter where they are on a golf course, it takes a unique golf course to be able to handle those challenges and provide a fair test for all.

Monday kicked off the third U.S. Adaptive Open at Sand Creek Station in Kansas, about half an hour north of Wichita. It’s the first time the championship has hit the road, after the first two editions were at Pinehurst No. 6 in North Carolina. The next two years, the championship will head back to Woodmont Country Club in Maryland.

U.S. Adaptive Open: Videos | Photos | Men’s scoring | Women’s scoring

Moving the championship around the U.S. allows some athletes to have chances to play closer to home. In Kirk Holmberg’s case, Sand Creek Station is a de facto home game. He lives 30 minutes west of Newton in Hutchinson and hit the opening tee shot on the 10th hole Monday morning.

Nick Kimmel plays a shot on the 16th hole during the first round of the 2024 U.S. Adaptive Open at Sand Creek Station in Newton, Kansas on Monday, July 8, 2024. (Jeff Haynes/USGA)

“Staying at home, get to sleep in my own bed, which is good,” Holmberg, who is competing in the Neurological Impairment category, said.

Holmberg is a member at Crazy Horse in Hutchinson, but he has played Sand Creek Station numerous times this year. The course, which also hosted the 2014 U.S. Amateur Public Links, is one he is familiar with, even if he didn’t start how he wanted to.

With his son caddying for him, and his wife and golfing friends following along, Holmberg started his U.S. Adaptive Open with an 81, but he finished his day strong with six straight pars.

U.S. Adaptive Open: Scenes from the opening round

“I wish I would’ve represented a little bit better, but it was really neat to have it here this close (to home) right here in my backyard,” he said.

After the opening day of play, 2023 overall men’s champion Kipp Popert from England (neurological impairment) leads the way after an opening 7-under 65. He leads by two over Spain’s Juan Postigo (lower limb impairment). Ten men’s players shot under par in the opening round.

On the women’s side, only one golfer is in red figures after the first round: Bailey Bish from Arizona (neurological impairment). She opened in 3-under 69 and has a six-shot lead over the first two Adaptive Open champions, Kim Moore (2022, lower limb impairment) and Ryanne Jackson (2023, neurological impairment).

Why qualifying for this year’s U.S. Adaptive Open means so much to this veteran injured in combat

“It’s just so great that we got our championship and we have to earn it to be here.”

NEWTON, Kan. — Larry Celano is no stranger to the U.S. Adaptive Open.

He played in the first two editions of the championship before winning his qualifier this year to earn his way into the field. Come Monday, Celano, 55, and other adaptive athletes will tee it up in the third edition of the U.S. Adaptive Open, but this year at Sand Creek Station, it means more for him and others.

For the first time, the United States Golf Association, which conducts the U.S. Adaptive Open, held qualifiers for the championship. Played over 18 holes, qualifiers were held at six sites across the United States between April 15 and May 31.

In its first two years, the championship field was determined largely by Handicap Index.

“Just to be able to go and actually work hard, come out and play and earn your spot, it’s the most amazing thing,” Celano said.

U.S. Adaptive Open: Photos | Men’s scoring | Women’s scoring

The Arizona native was wounded during the invasion of Panama on Dec. 22, 1989, as a member of the U.S. Army in the 82nd Airborne Division. He suffered an L1-L2 spinal cord injury because of gunshot wounds. He retired in June of 1990 and was awarded the Purple Heart.

Max Togisala plays a shot on the 17th hole during a practice round ahead of the 2024 U.S. Adaptive Open at Sand Creek Station in Newton, Kan. on Sunday, July 7, 2024. (Jeff Haynes/USGA)

He also started the Seated Golfers Association, where he serves as the president.

“I will always cherish this one as much as the first one, but this one a little bit more because I had to earn my way into it,” Celano said.

Celano was emotional Sunday during his pre-tournament press conference because of the opportunities afforded to him thanks to the U.S. Adaptive Open.

He said two weeks before qualifying, he had a pit in his stomach waiting for his chance to earn his way into the field. He went on to win his qualifier in Dallas.

Sand Creek Station offers a different test than the first two editions of the Adaptive Open, which were held at Pinehurst No. 6. Celano said it’s on par with the best courses in the country and will offer a good challenge for the adaptive athletes.

Issa A Amang Nlareb of Cameroon plays a shot on the 17th hole during a practice round ahead of the 2024 U.S. Adaptive Open at Sand Creek Station in Newton, Kansas. (Jeff Haynes/USGA)

Celano said it’s an emotional week to get back together and meet athletes and friends he has met playing golf through the years, and being able to do it at the national championship makes it even better.

“I get all teared up because I’ve met so many people,” Celano said. “Even the volunteers and staff I’ve got to know from the USGA, it’s just heartwarming. It’s just so great that we got our championship and we have to earn it to be here.”

USGA to conduct national qualifying for first time ahead of 2024 U.S. Adaptive Open

The USGA announced Thursday the U.S. Adaptive Open will adopt a qualifying model for the 2024 championship.

The USGA announced Thursday the U.S. Adaptive Open will adopt a qualifying model for the 2024 championship.

Conducted over 18 holes, qualifiers will be held at six sites across the United States between April 15 and May 31. They will be administered by Allied Golf Associations. In its first two years, the championship field was determined largely by Handicap Index. 

The 2024 U.S. Adaptive Open will be held at Sand Creek Station in Newton, Kansas, from July 8-10.“We have been thrilled with the interest in this championship and the growth of new adaptive competitions that it has inspired. As such, we have reached the point of introducing qualifying earlier than expected,” John Bodenhamer, USGA chief championships officer, said in a release. “In order to satisfy demand, we’re excited to roll out this new qualifying model, which will ensure high-caliber players are provided ample opportunity to earn a spot in the field and provide the championship the opportunity to embrace the openness that is a hallmark of USGA competitions.”The following AGAs will conduct 18-hole stroke play qualifiers in 2024 (specific sites and dates will be available by early February): Florida State Golf Association; Georgia State Golf Association; Indiana Golf Association; Metropolitan Golf Association (CT/NJ/NY); Southern California Golf Association and the Texas Golf Association

Online entry applications will open Thursday, Feb. 22, at 9 a.m. ET, and close on Wednesday, April 10 at 5 p.m. ET, and be available at champs.usga.org.

The U.S. Adaptive Open Championship serves as the association’s 15th, and newest, national championship for the adaptive golf community. In 2023, Ryanne Jackson (women’s) and Kipp Popert (men’s) captured the championship’s overall titles. In 2022, Kim Moore (women’s) and Simon Lee (men’s) emerged victorious during the inaugural playing.

Eighteen players are fully exempt into the 2024 U.S. Adaptive Open based on performances over the past two years of the championship.

The Adaptive Open is open to male and female professional and amateur golfers, with a Handicap Index of 36.4 or less, and an eligible impairment confirmed by a WR4GD Pass. The championship is contested over 54 holes of stroke play. Multiple sets of tees will be utilized.

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How rapid growth of USGA’s Adaptive Open is expanding adaptive space across the country

The adaptive golf space continues to grow thanks to the USGA.

Dave Windsor felt as if he was on an island.

The Director of Adaptive Golf with the Georgia State Golf Association began working in the adaptive space in 1999. There’s arguably no one who has been more entrenched in adaptive golf — which allows people with disabilities to play the game of golf through modified rules or equipment — than Windsor.

Since the beginning of this century, as Windsor explained, more and more boats have started coming to the island. More and more state associations became interested in adaptive golf. There was national interest. Now, the sport is booming, with a national championship and higher participation numbers than ever.

“People would come and say, ‘What are the natives doing out here,’” Windsor said of his boat and island analogy. “We would help them. Slowly, they would start to replicate something in their neighborhood or golf course. And they saw that it was the right thing to do.

The United States Golf Association will host the third annual U.S. Adaptive Open this July 8-10 at Sand Creek Station in Newton, Kansas. It will be the first time the championship hits the road, being held at Pinehurst the first two years. It’s a sign of the growth in the adaptive space, the USGA’s commitment to adaptive golf and signifies how important it is to make golf accessible to everyone. 

There are seven state adaptive championships planned for 2024. Come 2025, that number could come close to doubling.

“There was really not a lot of interest from the golf association world until the Adaptive Open came to fruition,” said Tyler Riggin, Regional Affairs Director with the USGA. “Then it was like this is so cool. This is a great opportunity to expand our services to the community.”

Riggin mentioned how much interest the community and state associations had in adaptive space after the first championship in 2022. More and more people wanted to be involved in adaptive golf, from competitors to fans and more.

One of the state associations that conducted its first adaptive championship in 2023 was Florida. 

Jeff Magaditsch, the executive director of the Florida State Golf Association, mentioned how much research and help from the USGA went into launching its adaptive championship.

“The USGA did a great job of laying the groundwork for us,” Magaditsch said. “It’s a space we always wanted to get involved in. The USGA paved the way for us to get involved in the championship space with its inaugural open. 

Magaditsch said the FSGA continues to expand its reach across the state in regards to adaptive golf, also giving a lot of credit to the GSCA and Windsor for helping with a blueprint for how things are done.

Running the championships is no small task either. For the Adaptive Open, there are numerous hurdles that go into choosing a course for adaptive athletes.

First, the course needs to be easily accessible for those who need specialized golf carts. Whether that’s cart paths from tee to green or bunkers you can get in and out of. There are five different sets of tees for the different classes of competitors.

“We treat this just like any other USGA championship, but there’s a lot of planning that has to go into it for the athletes,” said Greg Sanfilippo, a Senior Director of Championships at the USGA. “The planning efforts take years in advance to go through how the builds are going to work and so on.”

Sanfilippo said being able to have the 2024 championship in the Midwest is something the USGA is looking forward to, and the association is continuing to learn the best way to host adaptive championships. 

As more adaptive events pop up across the country, it grows the space for golfers with impairments. More opportunity is never a bad thing, and as the third U.S. Adaptive Open gets closer, the USGA welcomes the challenge of hosting the most unique championship in the sport.

“It’s something that we’re proud of, to be able to take it across the country and across the United States,” Sanfilippo said. “If you want to expose more people and inspire more individuals to be a part of the adaptive game, get involved in the adaptive game, whether that be playing golf, donating time to programs and clinics, if they’re golfers or teaching professionals, I think we’re proud of that. And to be able to overcome some of those challenges is something that we do on a daily basis and again, just feel proud of it overall.”

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Where others see limitations, amputee golfer Doug Shirakura recognizes possibility

The 20-year-old is studying aerospace engineering and seeing where golf might take him after finishing tied for ninth at the U.S. Adaptive Open.

RIDGEFIELD, Conn. – The swing is relatively quiet and strikingly efficient.

Golf balls were arcing skyward in succession last week, eventually disappearing over an imposing tree line on back side of the Golf Performance Center range some 250 yards away.

On the surface, it was an effortless performance.

The physical limitations Doug Shirakura instinctively works around each time he sets up over the ball are easily overlooked when the Somers, Connecticut, resident is in launch mode.

Nothing about the swing is awkward or mechanical.

“I think most people watch in disbelief, honestly,” said Roger Knick, a longtime PGA professional who is the owner and founder of Golf Performance Center. “They look at the way he controls the golf ball and quickly stop feeling sorry for him.”

Envy takes over when the sympathy fades.

Shirakura has been playing it as it lies his entire life. He is currently No. 1 among players with a single below-the-knee impairment by the U.S. Adaptive Golf Alliance. The junior aerospace engineering major at Worcester Polytechnic Institute carries a 1.2 index and finished tied for ninth last month at the inaugural U.S. Adaptive Open at historic Pinehurst No. 6.

He possesses an infectious enthusiasm for the game and is highly motivated to improve.

“If I’m being completely honest, playing with my restrictions is not difficult at all,” the 20-year-old said while tuning up for this week’s Eastern Regional Amputee Championship at Penn State. “I mean, this is all I’ve ever known. In that sense, I definitely have an advantage over some of the older guys who may have lost their limbs later in life.”

Shirakura was an infant when his right leg was amputated below the knee, the result of amniotic banding syndrome.

“It mostly affects outer extremities,” he said. “My right hand was kind of fused together. My fingers didn’t form well, so I had to have multiple surgeries when I was a baby to reconstruct my hand. My right foot was almost to a point where it was unusable. It was either I keep the foot and kind of take a gamble or amputate it and use the prosthetic.

“That’s what my parents went with, and it’s worked out great.”

Aki and Miyuki Shirakura both played golf and introduced their son early on. He also played a number of sports growing up, but none of those competitive outlets sparked his imagination.

Mom halted a blossoming karate career when prosthetics began to break.

So that left golf, and Shirakura was all in by middle school.

“I did the junior camp at Centennial every summer until I got too old,” he said. “I’d get dropped off at like 7 a.m. When you’re young, it doesn’t feel like a long day. You practice in the morning, go out and play nine holes, play games on the putting green with some friends and go out and play again. The next thing you know, it’s starting to get dark and your mom is there.”

Keeping up with peers was never an issue.

“I never felt disadvantaged against the field, I was just trying to go out there and play,” added Shirakura, whose drives typically measure in excess of 270 yards.

Eventually, he graduated to Met PGA Junior Tour and Hurricane Junior Golf Tour events. He was also captain of the golf team at Somers and competed in a number of national adaptive golf tournaments. Results at that point were mixed.

“I wasn’t that good of a golfer – not because of my disabilities,” Shirakura said. “It wasn’t until COVID, that I began to improve. That’s when I started coming here. I realized I was lacking distance, partially because of my disability, I didn’t have the strength on the right side, but also because I was a skinny kid in high school. I knew that if I wanted to be competitive, I needed to gain more distance, I needed to play smarter and I needed to constantly practice what I can control instead of what I can’t control.”

Access to year-round practice at the high-end facility was transformative.

“By and large, we haven’t done a lot as far as instruction or coaching,” Knick said. “It’s really about providing an environment where he’s able to thrive by coming in and working diligently. He’s gone through our assessment to understand where his skills are and where he is physically, and he hasn’t shied away from any challenge.”

Winning adaptive tournaments is not the end game.

Shirakura is aiming to keep up with golfing buddies like Ardsley resident Brent Ito, who played collegiately at Michigan and now has status on PGA Tour Canada.

“In my opinion he is just an extraordinary young man who has faced the challenge of his circumstance with absolute belief that he can overcome anything, so it’s pretty easy to coach that,” Knick added.

His golf idols are people like Carlos Brown and Ken Green.

“Carlos is a teaching pro in Dallas who unfortunately lost his left leg below the knee after an accident,” Shirakura said. “He’s been critical in keeping me on the right track to playing better golf and keeping me on the right track mentally in life. Ken Green was the first really good adaptive golfer that I met and I was like, ‘Holy Cow, he played on the PGA Tour.’ ”

They first crossed paths when the Danbury, Connecticut native who lost part of his leg in an RV accident was back in the area playing an event at Richter Park. They reconnected at Pinehurst.

“A lot of people in adaptive golf are my role models,” Shirakura added. “They all have such amazing stories. I’m always telling myself, ‘Those guys have it way worse than you, so get your … together.’ ”

After following Brown on social media, Shirakura reached out to the highly-regarded PGA teaching professional four years ago. They are kindred golf nerds. Brown provided some needed focus and was able to make needed swing adjustments virtually.

The results were almost immediate.

Shirkura deals with the inevitable uneven lies with careful thought and committed execution. And knowing his margin for error is small, everything is well-rehearsed.

“Douglas is somebody I use as an example for my college players,” Brown said. “He’s a late bloomer. A couple years ago, he was still figuring out what he wanted to do with golf. I told Douglas, ‘It has to be function and form over fashion.’ You need to figure out how you’re supposed to move based on what we’re dealt. You can’t fit yourself into a mold that doesn’t look like you and he’s beginning to trust that. … Because he had so much information from people, he was struggling to put it together and had kind of a Frankenstein-looking swing. He was gifted, but had a lot of pieces that didn’t fit who he was.

“And the other thing is he will outwork anybody.”

The opportunity to play in the U.S. Adaptive Open was lifechanging.

Shirakura put together rounds of 75, 77 and 79 on Course No. 6 at Pinehurst, which played some 6,500 yards. He finished 15 over for the championship.

“The conditions were fantastic and they made the course play really difficult,” he said. “They did it that way because it’s meant to be a U.S. Open. It’s supposed to test all our skills and I think they did a fantastic job of achieving that.”

Shirakura walked the first two rounds, noting that his use of a cart would be disrespectful to competitors dealing with more severe mobility issues. He did take a cart in the final round after his mom expressed concern about the relentless heat.

“Going into the event, I had some pretty high expectations, knowing the history of the USGA,” he said. “And when I got there, I was completely blown away. … It was amazing to be out there and be able to reach a lot of people. … My goal, especially in golf, is to inspire people. Having a big stage set by the USGA, was just a huge deal. All of the players were kind of given a platform to share their inspiring stories and how they were able to overcome their situations through golf.”

There are many more elevated greens to climb.

“I have no idea where this is going,” Shirakura said. “For the next three years, I’m going to be trying to get better and see how far I can take my game and see if I can reach my full potential. I’m fortunate enough to have this opportunity to be able to play and practice at a facility like this and I have the time to really put in this game. It would be a waste not to see how far I could get.”

Regardless of result, he’s providing inspiration with each swing.

“It’s about learning to adapt, literally,” added Brown, who was quick to add Shirakura to the Nike Adaptive Team he oversees. “The cool thing is, that’s something we do in life. That’s all golf is, regardless of difference, you have to adjust to situations that present themselves. We just have to adjust a little bit more.”

Mike Dougherty covers golf for The Journal News and lohud.com. He can be reached at mdougher@lohud.com or on Twitter @lohudgolf.

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Simon Lee, Kim Moore make history as first winners of U.S. Adaptive Open at Pinehurst

In all, 16 golfers won medals for winning their impairment categories.

VILLAGE OF PINEHURST, N.C. – Simon Lee walked up to the podium in front a packed Player Hospitality tent and joyfully greeted the room. He then read a speech from his phone that brought the crowd to its feet.

“My special thanks go to my parents,” he said. “They pulled me out of darkness and made me walk through the light of the world.”

At the U.S. Adaptive Open, players competed in eight different categories. Lee, a 25-year-old professional from South Korea, was one of 10 players in the intellectual impairment category, having been diagnosed with autism at age 3. Lee finished the 54-hole event knotted at 3-under 213 with Felix Norman of Sweden, a 25-year-old with tuberous sclerosis who competed in the same category. Just last year, Norman had brain surgery to remove two growing “lime nodules.”

The pair squared off in a two-hole aggregate playoff, which Lee won by two thanks to a 20-foot birdie putt on the 17th that he said felt like a dream. After locking up the men’s division title, supporters doused Lee with water as he shrieked with glee.

“Today I played with my mind of thinking, I can do it, I can do it, I can do it,” Lee told the media after the round. While many of his answers took a good deal of time to formulate, those four words poured out with gusto.

Kim Moore, 41, won the women’s division by a commanding seven strokes thanks to a final-round 76. Born without a right foot and a severely clubbed left foot, Moore played collegiate golf at the University of Indianapolis. Her namesake Kim Moore Spirit Award is given to college golfers in all divisions who exemplify perseverance and high character.

“It’s pretty cool to be part of a little bit of history in golf,” Moore, “and it’s just very exciting for me.”

2022 U.S. Adaptive Open
Kim Moore, Leg Impairment, hits an approach shot on hole 17 during the final round at the 2022 U.S. Adaptive Open at Pinehurst Resort in Village of Pinehurst, North Carolina. (Photo: Jeff Haynes/USGA)

Moore had her father on the bag at Pinehurst No. 6 and said congratulations text messages from her players have poured in. In addition to being a college coach, Moore also became a PGA teaching professional so that she could specialize in teaching the game to those with adaptive needs.

“I just think just what has been seen this week around the world, around the country, is going to elevate the amputee community, the adaptive community, and it’s just pretty cool to see,” said Moore. “I think we’re going to have a lot of rise in participation. I hope that’s what this brings.”

A total of 16 players received copper medals for winning their respective impairment categories: arm, leg, intellectual, neurological, vision, multiple limb amputee, short stature and seated players.

“All these years, everyone says I’m inspiring them,” said Dennis Walters, who won the seated players division.

“But I couldn’t help but be totally amazed and inspired by the sights I’ve seen here. If you were here, I don’t think you would ever forget this.”

Lee, whose father was once a diplomat, spent time as a child going back and forth from the U.S. to South Korea. In elementary school, he started out playing ice hockey but struggled to connect in a team environment.

That’s when the family switched him to golf, which his mother, Ji-ae Pahk, said proved difficult because of the need for constant repetition. He would learn one thing and then promptly forget it. Getting her son to focus and stay centered on the ball proved difficult, too.

But Lee persevered and turned professional in high school. Tournament golf helped him learn how to better communicate. Mom says they’re still working hard on making eye contact.

In the bio information Lee’s mother provided tournament officials, she noted that a psychological test administered last year showed that Lee’s mental and social age remains in the 6-7 range. He had an IQ score of 66. (The average IQ score usually falls between 85 and 115.)

Pahk’s message to parents of children with autism is to find what they love and continue to work on it.

“It’s not just something that your feeding their hobby,” she said with help of an interpreter. “It changes their character and their personality overall.”

On paper, Lee came in this week with the lowest handicap index in the field at 3.6. His ultimate dream is to one day stand on the 18th hole at the Masters on Sunday.

“In the future, I will work harder to show that an adaptive golfer can compete on the PGA Tour,” Lee told the crowd of players and supporters after the round.

“My wish is to be remembered as a golfer who never gave up.”

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