The USGA officially announced late last year a new national championship that will feature the best golfers in the world with disabilities. The newly established U.S. Adaptive Open Championship will join an elite list of USGA Championships including the U.S. Open, U.S. Women’s Open, U.S. Amateur, and the U.S. Women’s Amateur.
The U.S. Adaptive Open is scheduled for July 18-20, 2022, at Course No. 6 of the historic Pinehurst Resort and Country Club. It will be the USGA’s 15th national championship and follows up on a commitment from 2017 to create this event for the adaptive golf community.
“Since 1895, our championships have provided the world’s best players with an opportunity to showcase their skills on a global stage, compete for a national championship and achieve their dreams,” said John Bodenhamer, USGA Senior Managing Director, Championships in the USGA’s official announcement of the event. “After years of planning and delays caused by the global pandemic, we are proud to bring that same opportunity to the adaptive golf community through this championship, and to do so at Pinehurst, our second home. We believe this effort will spur participation for golfers with disabilities and hope it inspires others in the industry to make the game and its competitions more welcoming to all.”
The inaugural championship will be contested over 54-holes of stroke-play and features a 96-player field. The U.S. Adaptive Open will be open to male and female, professional or amateur, with either physical, sensory, or intellectual impairment.
Further details of the competition, eligibility requirements and format will be announced at a later date. The application process is expected to open in February.
Last September, the USGA named Pinehurst its first championship anchor site, announcing four additional U.S. Opens at the esteemed venue, as well as a commitment to bring other national championships to the property, including the 2023 U.S. Adaptive Open.
Adaptive golf has evolved dramatically over the past few years as greater accessibility to the game is on the forefront of many people’s minds. Millions of physically disabled Americans love to play the game and now they are getting the opportunity to compete amongst themselves more often.
Technology within adaptive golf has continued to improve over time and now helps many disabled golfers to adequately participate to the best of their skill levels.
Adapted golf uses a modified set of rules and regulations to make the game more accessible. Golfers with disabilities are tested and classified much like other adapted sports are, which is based on how their physical abilities affect their performance. These divisions allow golfers with disabilities to compete on an equal footing with able-bodied competitors or players with a variety of disabilities.
The U.S. Adaptive Open is the largest announcement for the disabled community to date but there are many organizations around the nation doing significant work in making the game more accessible, including the Texas Adaptive Golf Association.
On May 2-5, the Texas Adaptive Golf Association will host the 2022 Adaptive Championship at The Golf Club at Champions Circle in Fort Worth. Featuring Men’s, Women’s, Seated, Senior (60+), and Super Senior (70+) divisions, this event will showcase the best disabled golfers across the state of Texas.
For more on the U.S. Adaptive Open, click here.