AN EVEN PLAYING FIELD: THE U.S. ADAPTIVE OPEN

Presented by the USGA

Watch Series

Overview

In 2022, the USGA added a new national championship to their annual roster of prestigious events—a tournament that’s likely to become the most revered of all. The U.S. Adaptive Open showcases the skills of 96 golfers with physical, visual and intellectual impairments. Gathering in North Carolina for the inaugural playing of the Adaptive Open, the global field of men and women ranging in age from 15 to 80 battled it out over three rounds of stroke play at Pinehurst Resort & CC’s No. 6 course, in eight different impairment categories. Golf Digest’s cameras were along for the ride, and in this documentary series, we get to know some of the most inspiring personalities behind the tournament. Presented by the USGA

8:24

Episode 1: The Countdown

Before he lost his eyesight at age 12 due to cancer, Jake Olson had decided that golf was his sport. Now 25, he is the top completely-blind golfer in the U.S. We followed Jake as he prepared for the inaugural U.S. Adaptive Open.

8:23

Episode 2: Keep Fighting

The 96 players who descended on Pinehurst for the inaugural U.S. Adaptive Open were not just individuals with impairments who like to play golf. As our crew learned during the pre-tournament practice rounds, they’re real-life superheroes with endless perseverance.

9:11

Episode 3: Game On

How do you stage a national golf championship for golfers of varying ages, genders and disabilities, all in the same field? The USGA staff behind the U.S. Adaptive Open found solutions to every obstacle, and as the tournament got started, they managed to make each competitor feel like the elite athletes they are.

12:17

Episode 4: Finishing Strong

The three-day championship turned out to be a real nail-biter, especially in the men’s division, and the final-round battle went into overtime. As names were etched on the trophies at the end of the day, the new champion said, fittingly, “My wish is to be remembered as a golfer who never gave up.”