Tag: Bailey Bish

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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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).