Kelsey Koch won’t leave the Sandhills of North Carolina with a trophy or medal, but she will take home a brand new ring.
Following her final round of the 2023 U.S. Adaptive Open at Pinehurst No. 6 on Wednesday afternoon, Koch was proposed to by her boyfriend and caddie, Josh White, on the ninth green, her last hole of the championship. And of course she said yes.
“I did not have any idea but I hoped and prayed. I hoped and prayed because life is so much more than golf and what better of an opportunity,” she said after the round. “This experience as a whole has been so humbling to be here. Like I always say, it’s not what you do on the course it’s what you do off the course, right? To be here and to have this, we’re so blessed to start this way.”
The 31-year-old made her adaptive debut this week in the leg impairment category. Koch was born without a left tibia bone and her leg was amputated at 11 months old.
“I don’t know any different,” said Koch, who owns a yoga studio back home. “I don’t want to know any different.”
The Grand Blanc, Michigan, native finished 20th out of 21 women in the field, and while she may not have had the week she wanted on the course, she’ll leave Pinehurst with countless new memories, a fiancé and wedding to plan.
“Golf has been difficult for me this week,” said Koch as she hugged her husband to be, “but that doesn’t matter.”
VILLAGE OF PINEHURST, N.C. — A field of 96 golfers descended upon Pinehurst No. 6 this week for the 2023 U.S. Adaptive Open, the second playing of the USGA’s newest championship that showcases some of the best disabled golfers from around the world.
Just how good are they? A total of 22 players boast plus handicaps, with 10 coming in at a full shot better than scratch.
There’s a four-way tie at the top for best handicap, with Kipp Popert (Neurological Impairment), Simon Lee (Intellectual Impairment), Hayato Yoshida (Leg Impairment) and Mike Browne (Leg Impairment) all owning handicaps of +3.7.
Get to know the 22 players in the 2023 U.S. Adaptive Open field who play with plus handicaps.
VILLAGE OF PINEHURST, N.C. — “I don’t want to slow anyone down.”
“I don’t have the right equipment.”
“We don’t have anybody to teach us.”
Adam Benza has heard those responses time and time again as reasons why more people from the disabled community haven’t tried to play golf. There are clinics all over the country for adaptive golfers, but a lot are run by instructors who aren’t familiar with the community they’re teaching.
That’s why nearly ten years ago Benza enlisted the help of fellow 2023 U.S. Adaptive Open competitors Kenny Bontz, Chad Pfeifer and Kellie Valentine to create Moving Foreward, a foundation that aims to get more disabled people involved in the game through clinics and by providing equipment for those in need.
‘I was like, ‘Hey, we’re the best of every category. We’re some of the best players in United States,’” said Benza, 41, who lost his leg to Ewing’s sarcoma at 9 years old. “Let’s do this, go and teach golf professionals to make it more available so they have more knowledge on how our prosthetics work, how we swing, Kellie has one arm, they’re both (above knee amputees) and I’m a (below knee amputee).”
“No golf instructors know how to really navigate what anybody out here is dealing with,” added Benza, who studied professional golf management at Penn State. “So that was kind of our main goal, to make it more accessible for all of the communities so they could go to a golf professional and know that they know what they’re talking about and how to deal with this us.”
“Adam does a lot of the day-to-day stuff,” said Pfeifer. “He does a lot of clinics, he’s helping teach other pros how to teach adaptive people, how to adjust to whatever their disability is, all the different adaptive equipment that’s out there.”
None other than 13-time PGA Tour winner Jordan Spieth, whose parents went to the same high school as Benza, was the foundation’s first donor, but Benza didn’t shy away from his disappointment that more people don’t want to donate.
“We would like to do more clinics, more for awareness, golf tournaments raising money for people to go to events like this, but people don’t understand that it’s all coming out of our own pockets,” he explained. “To be able to go to people and say, ‘You’ve never played an adaptive event, we’re gonna pay for you to go out there, we’ll get used clubs,’ stuff like that, that’s our main goal, just to get more and more people out there.”
“That’s what we want to do, it’s just when push comes to shove and you go to ask somebody they’re like, ‘We already have our budget planned out for this year. We’ll talk to you next year.’”
But next year doesn’t always come.
“We’re always looking for money, that drives a lot, but that money goes towards great things like getting these players out on the golf course and golf clubs in their hands,” added Pfeifer. “Any kind of support is always helpful. Even if you know somebody who might have a disability, let them know about us and let them know about adaptive golf. We’d love to see him out here, no matter what their injury is.”
VILLAGE OF PINEHURST, N.C. — The United States Golf Association unveiled its 15th championship last summer here in the Sandhills of North Carolina, and after an overwhelmingly positive reaction, the U.S. Adaptive Open is back with very few tweaks to its inaugural set up.
“The reaction was so positive. It was just so much fun for all of us,” said championship director Stephanie Parel. “We never felt like we were working. It’s really exciting to be here and be a part of this and still is.”
It’s rare for the USGA to hold a championship in the same location two years in a row, but it’s been a luxury for golf’s governing body in the states to host the Adaptive at Pinehurst No. 6 once again. The championship will take the next step as it heads off to Sand Creek Station in Newton, Kansas, July 8-10, 2024, but for two more rounds its proud to call the Cradle of American Golf home.
“The resort staff here and their volunteers are exceptional. They made it very easy for us,” said Parel. “We really like this golf course for this championship, it has special features that align well with this championship.”
With its tee-to-green catch players and easily accessible bunkers, Pinehurst No. 6 is a perfect course to host the championship, and few changes were needed for 2023.
Kellie Valentine plays a shot on the fifth hole during the first round of the 2023 U.S. Adaptive Open at Pinehurst Resort & C.C. (Course No. 6) in Village of Pinehurst, N.C. on Monday, July 10, 2023. (Jeff Haynes/USGA)
“We didn’t change a whole lot about the course setup in terms of like grass heights and things like that. We did add another set of tees so that we have now three for men and three for women,” said Parel. “That allows us to set it up for the same for both genders and all impairment categories.”
For example, players in the arm impairment category who are playing with just one arm will tee it up from the middle tees, while players with two hands or a hand and attachment on the club will play form the back tees. The front tees will only be used by seated players.
Thanks to feedback from players, the USGA is also using yellow flagsticks and caddie bibs for visually impaired players this year.
“We want the players to know we really embrace this demographic of the player and we want to do everything we can for them and give them the national championship they deserve,” explained Parel. “We really feel lucky to be providing that opportunity, and we’re listening to them. We asked for feedback, they gave it and we were really pleased to receive it.”
The three-day, 54-hole event, which started Monday, will crown both men’s and women’s overall champions from the field of 96 players, as well as individual winners from both genders from the eight categories: Arm Impairment, Leg Impairment, Multiple Limb Amputee, Vision Impairment, Intellectual Impairment, Neurological Impairment, Seated Players and Short Stature.
Golf Channel will dedicate the final 30 minutes of Wednesday’s Golf Central (5-6 p.m. ET) to the U.S. Adaptive Open trophy ceremony. Entry to the championship is free, and unlike most golf events, there are no rope lines, which means fans can get close to the action and experience just how great the Adaptive Open is.
“First and foremost, these are phenomenal players who love golf like the rest of us. They have exceptional skill and they’re also just fun to be around, they really are enjoying themselves out here,” said Parel. “They’re great with everybody, they really enjoy the social aspect of the game, which you don’t often see in competitions. It’s really a pleasure to be around them.”
Check out some of the best photos of the week from Pinehurst.
VILLAGE OF PINEHURST, N.C. — The defending champions put up a good fight but it wasn’t enough as the United States Golf Association has crowned two new winners.
The field is spread across eight categories: Arm Impairment, Intellectual Impairment, Leg Impairment, Multiple Limb Amputee, Neurological Impairment, Seated Players, Short Stature and Vision Impairment. Players must have a WR4GD Pass and a handicap index of 36.4 or less, Players with an Intellectual Impairment must also have Virtus II1 International Eligibility.
Architect Tom Doak will build a new course on the site not far from Pinehurst Resort that once held The Pit.
After years of speculation and hoping on the part of many golf architecture fans, Pinehurst Resort in North Carolina announced Wednesday morning that it will build its 10th golf course just a few miles from the main resort on the site of The Pit, a course that was shuttered in 2010.
Architect Tom Doak landed the job. Plans are for a 2024 opening that coincides with the resort hosting the U.S. Open that year on its famed No. 2 course. Doak designed many of the world’s best modern courses, including Pacific Dunes at Bandon Dunes Golf Resort in Oregon, Ballyneal in Colorado and Tara Iti in New Zealand, among dozens of others.
“The site is topographically distinct and drastically different from anywhere in Pinehurst,” Doak said in a media release announcing the news. “It’s bigger, bolder and more dramatic. There’s about 75 feet of elevation change, and we’ll work our way up to it around the mid-point of the layout. You’ll have expansive views from this apex over the rest of the course. It will be an unforgettable experience for golfers.”
The Pit, opened in 1985 with a Dan Maples design, was known for its extreme elevation changes and challenges. The layout, which was not part of Pinehurst Resort, did not survive the 2008 financial crisis that clobbered many golf courses around the United States. Pinehurst Resort bought the land on which The Pit sat in 2011.
Architect Tom Doak will build a new course at Pinehurst, slated to open in 2024. (Courtesy of Pinehurst Resort)
Since that time, the sandy site has been the topic of speculation as golfers guessed what the resort might have in mind. Robert H. Dedman Jr., CEO of Pinehurst Resort, had for years said it wasn’t the right time to build on the site. Golf’s recent boom since the start of COVID, which has led to great demand for tee times at Pinehurst Resort and other golf properties in the area, surely influenced the decision to hire Doak and start work on the resort’s first new course to be built in decades.
The resort owns about 900 acres of land near the Aberdeen area, including the site of the former The Pit. A variety of development opportunities will be evaluated with town officials, the resort said in its media release. Those opportunities include additional golf, a short course, a clubhouse, guest cottages and other lodging.
“This exceptional property is a place where many of our dreams of the future can be contemplated,” Dedman Jr. said in the media release. “How those dreams play out will be determined over time, the same way the path forward revealed itself through recent additions like The Cradle, Thistle Dhu and the redesign of Pinehurst No. 4. Adding a Tom Doak design to our collection is another historic chapter in the story of Pinehurst. We can’t wait to read it.”
The site for the new course features rugged dunes left in the wake of mining operations more than a century ago. With natural ridgelines, intriguing landforms, towering longleaf pines, streams and ponds, Doak said in the media release that he envisions a track that complements the resort’s other courses through its contrasts.
“The number one thing that excited us about the project is working with the beautiful sand that’s native to this region,” Doak said. “The sand, the wiregrass, the bluestem grass and other native grasses that grow around the Sandhills create a fabulous texture for golf. It’s something most places just don’t have.”
It will be a busy time around Pinehurst, as the U.S. Golf Association is building a campus that is under construction and is planned to begin to open this year. The resort also was selected as an anchor site for U.S. Opens and will host that tournament in 2024, ’29, ’35, ’41 and ’47.
Architect Tom Doak at Pinehurst (Courtesy of Pinehurst Resort)
And in 2024 all those people headed to the Sandhills will have one more place to play. Doak will work with landscape architect Angela Moser – whose CV includes efforts at Los Angeles Country Club’s North Course, Streamsong Black in Florida and the new St. Patrick’s Links in Ireland among others – on the project.
“Tom Doak builds incredible golf courses on sand, and we’re excited to see what he’ll create in the North Carolina Sandhills,” Pinehurst Resort President Tom Pashley said in the media release. “We’ve worked with some amazing golf architects who’ve embraced our natural aesthetic and believe Tom will do something fantastic on this site.”
Work includes new TifEagle putting surfaces, refreshed bunkers and tree removal.
Pinehurst No. 8, designed by Tom Fazio and opened in 1996, has undergone extensive agronomic and infrastructure enhancements this summer and will reopen Friday, Sept. 2.
The course, built to commemorate the resort’s centennial anniversary, ranks as the No. 7 public-access layout in a stacked state, as judged by Golfweek’s Best raters. The resort’s famed Pinehurst No. 2 course is the top-ranked public-access layout in North Carolina, the No. 4 course ranks second in the state, and the No. 9 and No. 7 courses also make the top 15 in the state.
The work to No. 8 included new TifEagle greens, restored bunkers with fresh sand, improved drainage throughout the course and the removal of invasive trees that blocked sunlight and views. The fairways also were “fraise” mowed, a disruptive process that removes years of thatch and undesired organic matter to provide faster, firmer playing surfaces.
“No. 8 now appears crisper to the eye and plays firmer and faster, the way Tom Fazio originally intended it,” Pinehurst Resort director of agronomy Bob Farren, who oversaw the work, said in a media release announcing the news. “Fazio, (resort owner) Bob Dedman and (resort president) Tom Pashley all agreed that No. 8 should retain its original, commemorative design. As such, these changes are aesthetic and agronomic with no alterations to the course’s architecture.”
There’s plenty more work being done at the resort including the renovation of the Carolina Hotel, on which Phase 1 of work is being completed. Other work at the hotel includes upgrades to the Ryder Cup Terrace that wraps around much of the building, which now will include areas with fire pits and soft seating near the Ryder Cup Lounge.
Here’s what you need to know about the USGA’s newest championship.
VILLAGE OF PINEHURST, North Carolina – The inaugural U.S. Adaptive Open begins on Monday at Pinehurst No. 6 and 96 competitors are on hand for the historic event.
Amy Bockerstette, who rose to fame with her fabulous par from a greenside bunker at the WM Phoenix Open alongside playing partner Gary Woodland, will compete in the intellectual impairment category. She recently fielded a good-luck call from One Direction’s Niall Horan. She talks to Woodland weekly.
“I love playing golf tournaments,” said an excited Bockerstette on the eve of the event. Bockerstette and her family have since founded the I Got This Foundation to provide golf instruction, playing opportunities and organized events for people with Down Syndrome and other intellectual disabilities.
The 54-hole Adaptive Open will be staged July 18-20 and will feature at least five male players and two females in each impairment category: arm impairment, leg impairment, multiple limb amputee, vision impairment, intellectual impairment, neurological impairment, seated players and short stature.
There are 15 players in the field with a Handicap Index better than 0.
Here are five things to know about the USGA’s 15th championship:
Check out the field for the USGA’s groundbreaking event.
The field is set for the inaugural U.S. Adaptive Open and Amy Bockerstette is among the 96 players in the field. Bockerstette, 23, went viral in 2019 when she famously said, “I got this!” when getting up-and-down for par from a greenside bunker during the Waste Management Phoenix Open alongside playing partner Gary Woodland, who is now a good friend.
Bockerstette will compete in the intellectual impairment category. The disabilities advocate founded the I Got This Foundation to provide golf instruction, playing opportunities and organized events for people with Down syndrome and other intellectual disabilities.
The USGA received 299 entries for the inaugural event, held July 18-20 on Pinehurst Resort & Country Club’s Course No. 6. Individual handicaps were there primary factor in determining the field, with five male player spots and two female player spots designated per impairment category. The eight impairment categories include: arm impairment, leg impairment, multiple limb amputee, neurological impairment, seated players, short stature, vision impairment and intellectual impairment.
The field’s youngest competitor is 15-year-old Sophia Howard from Hudsonville, Michigan, and Judith Brush, 80, of Alexandria, Virginia, is the championship’s oldest player. Players will represent 12 countries and 29 states.
Dennis Walters, 72, of Jupiter, Florida, who received the 2018 Bob Jones Award, the USGA’s highest honor, will join six other golfers who qualified in the seated player impairment category. Walters has turned the tragedy of being paralyzed from the waist down at age 24 from a golf-cart accident into a personal mission to teach golf and life lessons to a worldwide audience.
PGA pro Alex Fourie. (courtesy photo)
PGA teaching pro Alex Fourie, who spent the first seven years of his life in Ukrainian orphanages, is among the best one-armed players in the world. Forie, who now lives with his family in Tennessee, sells T-shirts through his charity, Single Hand Golf, to help orphans in war-torn Ukraine.
There will be one overall men’s champion and one overall women’s champion.
“We are thrilled by the level of interest and support that we’ve received from the adaptive community for the inaugural U.S. Adaptive Open,” said John Bodenhamer, chief championships officer for the USGA. “To receive nearly 300 entries from around the world underscores the passion of these athletes who are seeking the opportunity to compete for a national championship.”
Chris Biggins, director of player development at the Country Club of Birmingham, who was born with cerebral palsy, will compete in the neurological impairment category. The 2022 U.S. Amateur Four-Ball is being contested this week at the Alabama club.
“Competing in an official USGA championship has been a dream of mine for years and now that dream will be coming to fruition,” said Biggins. “This event will attract the best golfers from around the world to compete on an incredible course, Pinehurst No. 6. It is an honor to compete in this historic event and help pave the way for the growth of disabled golf.”
The championship will be contested over 54 holes of stroke play. Multiple sets of tees will be utilized. Carts will be permitted for all players and caddies. The 96-player field is as follows:
Trevor Arnone, of Lewiston, Idaho, 34, Short Stature Kurtis Barkley, of Canada, 34, Short Stature Brian Bemis, of Lansing, Mich., 48, Leg Impairment Adam Benza, of Hellertown, Pa., 35, Leg Impairment Andrew Berglund, of Stillwater, Minn., 22, Intellectual Impairment Chris Biggins, of Birmingham, Ala., 30, Neurological Impairment Jeremy Bittner, of Pittsburgh, Pa., 33, Leg Impairment Joakim Bjorkman, of Sweden, 32, Short Stature Wayne Blankenship, of Union, Mo., 52, Leg Impairment Amy Bockerstette, of Phoenix, Ariz., 23, Intellectual Impairment Jack Bonifant, of Kensington, Md., 32, Neurological Impairment Kenny Bontz, of Parrish, Fla., 52, Leg Impairment Erik Bowen, of Oakland, Calif., 42, Multiple Limb Amputee Albert Bowker, of Buellton, Calif., 25, Short Stature Grace Anne Braxton, of Fredericksburg, Va., 50, Intellectual Impairment Ryan Brenden, of Pierce, Neb., 46, Leg Impairment Carlos Brown, of McKinney, Texas, 42, Leg Impairment Mike Browne, of England, 44, Leg Impairment Judith Brush, of Alexandria, Va., 80, Leg Impairment Brandon Canesi, of Doral, Fla., 30, Multiple Limb Amputee Luke Carroll, of Old Hickory, Tenn., 17, Neurological Impairment Lawrence Celano, of Chandler, Ariz., 53, Seated Players Amanda Cunha, of Kaneohe, Hawaii, 18, Vision Impairment Ryan Cutter, of Helena, Mont., 31, Multiple Limb Amputee Mario Dino, of Denver, Colo., 19, Neurological Impairment Zachary Duncan, of Cornelius, N.C., 22, Intellectual Impairment Spencer Easthope, of Canada, 40, Neurological Impairment Conor Ennis, of Wake Forest, N.C., 31, Short Stature Jesse Florkowski, of Canada, 32, Arm Impairment Alex Fourie, of Knoxville, Tenn., 29, Arm Impairment Billy Fryar, of Bigelow, Ark., 50, Seated Players Patrick Garrison, of Folsom, Pa., 38, Neurological Impairment Ken Green, of West Palm Beach, Fla., 63, Leg Impairment Zachary Grove, of York, Pa., 36, Neurological Impairment Mauricio Gutiérrez, of Mexico, 47, Seated Players Ann Hayes, of Lee, Mass., 59, Seated Players Joseph (Joey) Hill, of Tampa, Fla., 22, Intellectual Impairment Greg Hollingsworth, of Peck, Kan., 53, Leg Impairment Sophia Howard, of Hudsonville, Mich., 15, Arm Impairment Ryanne Jackson, of St. Petersburg, Fla., 24, Neurological Impairment Han Jeongwon, of Republic of Korea, 51, Leg Impairment Lucas Jones, of Louisville, Ky., 27, Leg Impairment Kiefer Jones, of Canada, 32, Vision Impairment Shigeru Kobayashi, of Japan, 66, Leg Impairment Masato Koyamada, of Japan, 55, Arm Impairment Sarah Beth Larson, of Green Bay, Wis., 43, Arm Impairment Cynthia Lawrence, of Lehigh Acres, Fla., 59, Multiple Limb Amputee Simon Lee, of Republic of Korea, 25, Intellectual Impairment Yangwoo Lee, of Republic of Korea, 24, Intellectual Impairment Cedric Lescut, of Belgium, 43, Leg Impairment Rasmus Lia, of Sweden, 21, Leg Impairment Michael Madsen, of Meridian, Idaho, 41, Leg Impairment Tommy Marks, of Danville, Pa., 42, Vision Impairment Evan Mathias, of Indianapolis, Ind., 26, Multiple Limb Amputee Joseph McCarron, of Orange Beach, Ala., 59, Vision Impairment Sean Mitchell, of Spokane, Wash., 32, Leg Impairment Kim Moore, of Portage, Mich., 41, Leg Impairment Austin Morris, of Bend, Ore., 34, Arm Impairment Felix Norrman, of Sweden, 25, Intellectual Impairment Jake Olson, of Huntington Beach, Calif., 25, Vision Impairment Elaine Ostrovsky, of Boca Raton, Fla., 49, Neurological Impairment Wooshik Park, of Republic of Korea, 63, Leg Impairment William Pease, of St. Augustine, Fla., 58, Vision Impairment Steven Pennell, of Jefferson, N.C., 44, Multiple Limb Amputee Chad Pfeifer, of Caldwell, Idaho, 40, Leg Impairment Jeremy Poincenot, of Carlsbad, Calif., 32, Vision Impairment Kipp Popert, of England, 24, Neurological Impairment Krystian Pushka, of Canada, 31, Intellectual Impairment Tracy Ramin, of Montrose, Mich., 50, Leg Impairment Trevor Reich, of South Africa, 58, Leg Impairment Stacey Rice, of Suwanee, Ga., 59, Leg Impairment Brandon Rowland, of Jackson, Tenn., 41, Multiple Limb Amputee Mandi Sedlak, of Kearney, Neb., 42, Leg Impairment Randy Shack, of Sulphur Springs, Texas, 38, Seated Players Steven Shipuleski, of Plainfield, Conn., 51, Arm Impairment Douglas Shirakura, of Somers, N.Y., 20, Leg Impairment Rasmus Skov løt, of Denmark, 21, Arm Impairment Deborah Smith, of Rockford, Ill., 60, Leg Impairment Jonathan Snyder, of Charlotte, N.C., 40, Arm Impairment Natasha Stasiuk, of Canada, 24, Intellectual Impairment Conor Stone, of Ireland, 27, Arm Impairment Joshua Tankersley, of Fort Worth, Texas, 36, Leg Impairment Jordan Thomas, of Nashville, Tenn., 33, Multiple Limb Amputee Mariano Tubio, of Argentina, 42, Seated Players Kellie Valentine, of McKean, Pa., 51, Arm Impairment Kevin Valentine, of Winter Garden, Fla., 48, Leg Impairment Patti Valero, of Brandon, Fla., 59, Leg Impairment Eliseo Villanueva, of Fort Bragg, N.C., 55, Arm Impairment Adem Wahbi, of Belgium, 23, Neurological Impairment Cathy Walch, of Buford, Ga., 56, Arm Impairment Robert Walden, of Queen Creek, Ariz., 50, Arm Impairment Dennis Walters, of Jupiter, Fla., 72, Seated Players David Watts, of South Africa, 34, Leg Impairment Joshua Williams, of Canada, 37, Leg Impairment Hayato Yoshida, of Japan, 38, Leg Impairment Peyton Zins, of Indianapolis, Ind., 20, Neurological Impairment
If you’ve visited the Sandhills of North Carolina, chances are you know the saying, “there’s never a bad day at Pinehurst,” and today is no different.
On the shortest day of the year, dubbed The Cradle Solstice by the popular golf resort, 16 men and women are playing Pinehurst’s short course, The Cradle, from sunrise to sunset.
Robbie Zalneck may never leave. Midway through the day, Zalneck – the USGA’s Senior Director, Player Services – had already made four aces with many holes still to play.
The annual event raises money for charity and benefits the Sandhills Food Bank, Young Life of the Sandhills and the PGA Reach Foundation. Donate here.
We are at the halfway point of the day, shout-out Robbie Zalzneck who has 4 (yes, you read that correctly) aces and counting pic.twitter.com/FKqRiaJ0q1
