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.
Kipp Popert
Handicap: +3.7
Impairment category: Neurological
Kipp Popert (+3.7, neurological) stripes one down the fairway. He currently holds a 2-shot lead for the overall men’s title with 6 holes to play. pic.twitter.com/2ZhGLf55aS
— Adam Woodard (@AdamWoodard) July 12, 2023
Simon Lee
Handicap: +3.7
Impairment category: Intellectual
Defending men’s champion Simon Lee (+3.7, intellectual impairment) hits one long and right down down the fairway on No. 17. You can tell he’s played on the Korean PGA Tour with a swing like this. pic.twitter.com/ggXlzSbE17
— Adam Woodard (@AdamWoodard) July 11, 2023
Hayato Yoshida
Handicap: +3.7
Impairment category: Leg
Japan’s Hayato Yoshida (+3.7, leg impairment) with a tasty pitch here at No. 8. pic.twitter.com/WFgyPuy1U0
— Adam Woodard (@AdamWoodard) July 10, 2023
Mike Browne
Handicap: +3.7
Impairment category: Leg
Mike Browne (+3.7, leg impairment) scares the edge for birdie and cleaned up for par. He’s even for the tournament and looking to join the five men under par so far. pic.twitter.com/IRKYjjSLLy
— Adam Woodard (@AdamWoodard) July 11, 2023
Austin Brown
Handicap: +2.7
Impairment category: Leg
Austin Brown (+2.7, leg) ends his day on No. 18 with a two-putt par after his birdie attempt just comes up short. The former Washington State Cougar has used a prosthetic leg his entire life and was a walk on for the golf team. pic.twitter.com/X2JPy4lx15
— Adam Woodard (@AdamWoodard) July 11, 2023
Jack Bonifant
Handicap: +2.7
Impairment category: Neurological
Jack Bonifant (+2.7, neurological) was accidentally dropped down stairs at 6 weeks old and fractured his skull. Doctors weren’t optimistic about his future prospects in athletics but he went on to play D1 golf at James Madison. How about that. pic.twitter.com/aj43tSTKjK
— Adam Woodard (@AdamWoodard) July 12, 2023
Luke Carroll
Handicap: +2.2
Impairment category: Neurological
One of the youngest competitors in the field, Luke Carroll, 17, graduates HS in 2024. At age 10, he was diagnosed with transverse myelitis, a neurological disorder of the spinal cord. He’s a +2.2 and found the green after a great drive on No. 17. pic.twitter.com/KnVtNHbpBw
— Adam Woodard (@AdamWoodard) July 11, 2023
Chris Biggins
Handicap: +1.9
Impairment category: Neurological
Chris Biggins was born with cerebral palsy but never let that get in the way of his golf. He’s a PGA professional who currently works as the director of player development at The Country Club of Birmingham and has +1.9 handicap pic.twitter.com/qMFu21D1Tg
— Adam Woodard (@AdamWoodard) July 12, 2023
Conor Stone
Handicap: +1.3
Impairment category: Arm
Conor Stone (+1.3, arm) almost withdrew this week because he couldn’t swing a club. He’s in the mix for the overall and leads the arm category.
Full story — https://t.co/h4VRIVriY8 pic.twitter.com/W7eHoTEvWf
— Adam Woodard (@AdamWoodard) July 12, 2023
Kurtis Barkley
Handicap: +1.3
Impairment category: Short stature
Kurtis Barkley (+1.3) won the short stature category here last year and is in position to defend his title. He was born with severe scoliosis yet still began to play at 3 years old and is a regular on the G4D (Golf for Disabled) Tour pic.twitter.com/BE2u7q7KWe
— Adam Woodard (@AdamWoodard) July 12, 2023
Rasmus Lia
Handicap: +0.9
Impairment category: Leg
Rasmus Lia was a promising junior cross-country skier but a nasty fall when he was 12 led to back, hip, pelvis and leg injuries. So he took up golf at the course where his dad worked and now holds a +0.9 handicap pic.twitter.com/jOZWYSHUZW
— Adam Woodard (@AdamWoodard) July 12, 2023
Adam Benza
Handicap: +0.8
Impairment category: Leg
Quick tee pickup so you know Adam Benza (+0.8, leg) liked it. He lost his leg to Ewing’s sarcoma at age 9 and alongside fellow Adaptive competitor Chad Pfeifer, Benza started the Moving Foreward foundation. Jordan Spieth made the first contribution. pic.twitter.com/e6tgf50u14
— Adam Woodard (@AdamWoodard) July 11, 2023
David Watts
Handicap: +0.6
Impairment category: Leg
David Watts (+0.6, leg) put a little power behind this one. pic.twitter.com/KeCFz72y3R
— Adam Woodard (@AdamWoodard) July 12, 2023
Michael Madsen
Handicap: +0.6
Impairment category: Leg
Big drive here from Michael Madsen (+0.6, leg impairment). The 42-year-old picked up golf during a two-year religious mission in Orlando and found work on a golf course grounds crew when he returned home to Idaho. pic.twitter.com/aYSTEGSIxW
— Adam Woodard (@AdamWoodard) July 11, 2023
Joakim Bjorkman
Handicap: +0.5
Impairment category: Short stature
Like a lot of us, Joakim Bjorkman fell in love with golf watching Tiger Woods. Unlike a lot of us, he was born with achondroplasia (short stature) and boasts a +0.5 handicap pic.twitter.com/dOthOW13GY
— Adam Woodard (@AdamWoodard) July 12, 2023
Jesse Florkowski
Handicap: +0.4
Impairment category: Arm
Jesse Florkowski (+0.4, arm) has some impressive pace and touch on the greens pic.twitter.com/nu0xwlAwfp
— Adam Woodard (@AdamWoodard) July 12, 2023
Greg Hollingsworth
Handicap: +0.4
Impairment category: Leg
Greg Hollingsworth (+0.4, leg impairment) made this one look easy off the first. Long and right down the middle of the fairway. pic.twitter.com/t8LLbgMdSL
— Adam Woodard (@AdamWoodard) July 10, 2023
Chad Pfeifer
Handicap: +0.3
Impairment category: Leg
Speaking of Chad Pfeifer (+0.3) the 41-year-old lost his left leg in 2007 while serving for the U.S. Army in Iraq and is no stranger to the adaptive golf circuit. He won the leg impairment category last year and is back to defend. pic.twitter.com/xPb8QYOuHI
— Adam Woodard (@AdamWoodard) July 11, 2023
Wayne Blankenship
Handicap: +0.3
Impairment category: Leg
Wayne Blankenship (+0.3, leg) lost his leg after an ATV accident growing up and at 53 still hits missiles off the tee. pic.twitter.com/XUUT3T4IvU
— Adam Woodard (@AdamWoodard) July 12, 2023
Anton Glass
Handicap: +0.2
Impairment category: Leg
Anton Glass (+0.2, leg impairment) with a big rip off No. 1 as the drizzling rain begins to pick up. pic.twitter.com/klhpkofxrO
— Adam Woodard (@AdamWoodard) July 10, 2023
Aidan Grenham
Handicap: +0.1
Impairment category: Leg
Aidan Grenham (+0.3, leg) got all of this one on No. 13. Whatta swing. pic.twitter.com/4EDQUEyZu6
— Adam Woodard (@AdamWoodard) July 12, 2023
Masato Koyamada
Handicap: 0
Impairment category: Arm
Also from Japan, Masato Koyamada (scratch, arm impairment) with a big drive down the middle on No. 8 pic.twitter.com/VpqduRSONv
— Adam Woodard (@AdamWoodard) July 10, 2023
