Sand Creek Station is about to host the course’s biggest tournament yet – a national championship sponsored by the United States Golf Association. July 8-10 Sand Creek Station will become only the second course in the nation to host the U.S. Adaptive Open Golf Championships.
The tournament was established in 2022, played at Pinehurst Golf Resort in North Carolina.
The championship is open to males and females, professionals and amateurs, with either physical impairment, sensory impairment (vision), or intellectual impairment (IQ 75 or lower who meet the Virtus II1/Paralympic Criteria for Intellectual Disability).
“This is a brand-new championship for the US golf association, but this is a missing void for 50 to 75 years for the adaptive community,” said Greg Sanfilippo, senior director of championships for the USGA. “Adaptive golf is growing worldwide.”
What is coming to Newton is a national championship – and the USGA treats it like one.
“There is a U.S. Open of golf, there is the U.S. Open of women’s golf. This is going to be the U.S. Open of adaptive golf,” Sanfilippo said.
“Our intent is to take this around the country and expose this championship to as many players, volunteers and people to this championship as possible,” Sanfilippo said.
The tournament will be open to 96 players, with a minimum of 20 women. There are a total of eight categories for players, an effort to involve those with as many impairments as possible. Seated players are allowed to compete, as well as the legally blind, physically impaired, short stature and others.
“They all can compete, on one golf course, for a national championship trophy that they have never had before in the United States,” Sanfilippo said.
Sand Creek Station will be the first public golf course to host the U.S. Adaptive Open.
Setup for the July 2024 tournament will begin in June 2024, and will require some course changes.
“There will be changes to the course, and that will affect some of the players and the routine tournaments that we have like men’s and women’s leagues,” McElroy said. “We know these people will be supportive, and we appreciate their ongoing support.”
Tents have been constructed to help expand the clubhouse facility. Needed were a player hospitality area, a volunteer hospitality area and a merchandising area.
Field List for 2024 U.S. Adaptive Open
NAME; HOMETOWN/COUNTRY; AGE; HOW IN FIELD; IMPAIRMENT CATEGORY; GENDER
Amy Bockerstette (a); Phoenix, Ariz.; 25; Qualifier; Intellectual Impairment; Female
Natasha Stasiuk (a); Canada; 26; Exempt; Intellectual Impairment; Female
Tessa Trojan (a); Canada; 35; Qualifier; Intellectual Impairment
Female
Jamie Allen (a); Kimball, Mich.; 41; Qualifier; Lower Limb Impairment; Female
Kelsey Koch (a); Grand Blanc, Mich.; 32; Qualifier; Lower Limb Impairment; Female
Nancy Lee (a); New York, N.Y.; 57; Qualifier; Lower Limb Impairment; Female
Kim Moore; Battle Creek, Mich.; 43; Exempt; Lower Limb Impairment; Female
Mandi Sedlak (a); Kearney, Neb.; 44; Qualifier; Lower Limb Impairment; Female
Deborah Smith (a); Rockford, Ill.; 62; Qualifier; Lower Limb Impairment; Female
Rose Veldman (a); North Hollywood, Calif.; 24; Qualifier; Multiple Limb Amputee; Female
Bailey Bish (a); Tucson, Ariz.; 24; Exempt; Neurological Impairment;
Ryanne Jackson (a); Seminole, Fla. ; 26; Exempt; Neurological Impairment; Female
Chris Oviatt (a); Milwaukie, Ore.; 60 ; Qualifier; Neurological Impairment; Female
Cassandra Sengul (a); Manassas, Va.; 18; Qualifier; Neurological Impairment; Female
Ann Hayes (a); Lee, Mass.; 61; Exempt; Seated Players; Female
Abigail Davis (a); Houston, Tex.; 22; Exempt; Upper Limb Impairment; Female
Sophia Howard (a); Hudsonville, Mich.; 17; Qualifier; Upper Limb Impairment; Female
Zdenka Kitagawa (a); Alpharetta, Ga.; 61; Qualifier; Upper Limb Impairment; Female
Kellie Valentine (a); Mckean, Pa.; 53; Qualifier; Upper Limb Impairment; Female
Cathy Walch (a); Buford, Ga.; 58; Qualifier; Upper Limb Impairment; Female
Amanda Cunha (a); Kaneohe, Hawaii; 20; Exempt; Vision Impairment; Female
Andrew Berglund (a); Stillwater, Minn.; 24; Qualifier; Intellectual Impairment; Male
Wellman Kody Conover (a); Las Vegas, Nev.; 29; Qualifier; Intellectual Impairment; Male
William Jacobsen (a); Auburn, Ala.; 20; Qualifier; Intellectual Impairment; Male
Andrew Johnson (a); Whitmire, S.C.; 24; Qualifier; Intellectual Impairment; Male
Simon Lee; Republic of Korea; 27; Exempt; Intellectual Impairment; Male
Garth Allen (a); Australia; 48; Qualifier; Lower Limb Impairment; Male
Carter Arey (a); Columbia, Mo.; 34; Qualifier; Lower Limb Impairment; Male
Kenny Bontz; Parrish, Fla.; 54; Qualifier; Lower Limb Impairment; Male
Ryan Brenden (a); Pierce, Neb.; 48; Qualifier; Lower Limb Impairment; Male
Austin Brown (a); Richland, Wash.; 27; Qualifier; Lower Limb Impairment; Male
Mike Browne; England; 46; Exempt; Lower Limb Impairment; Male
David de Garavilla (a); Telford, Pa.; 41; Qualifier; Lower Limb Impairment; Male
Kyle Erickson (a); Minneapolis, Minn.; 41; Qualifier; Lower Limb Impairment; Male
Anton Glass; Bonita Springs, Fla.; 28; Exempt; Lower Limb Impairment; Male
Tim Herrmann (a); Cologne, Minn.; 33; Qualifier; Lower Limb Impairment; Male
Rasmus Lia; Sweden; 23; Exempt; Lower Limb Impairment; Male
Michael Madsen (a); Meridian, Idaho; 43; Qualifier; Lower Limb Impairment; Male
Chad Pfeifer; Nampa, Idaho; 42; Exempt; Lower Limb Impairment; Male
Juan Postigo; Spain; 28; Exempt; Lower Limb Impairment; Male
Rueben Valdez (a); Birmingham, Ala.; 34; Qualifier; Lower Limb Impairment; Male
Joshua Williams (a); Canada; 39; Qualifier; Lower Limb Impairment; Male
Lachlan Wood; Australia; 33; Exempt; Lower Limb Impairment; Male
Hayato Yoshida; Japan; 40; Qualifier; Lower Limb Impairment; Male
Erik Bowen (a); Charlotte, N.C.; 44; Qualifier; Multiple Limb Amputee; Male
Brandon Canesi (a); Northfield, N.J.; 32; Qualifier; Multiple Limb Amputee; Male
Ryan Cutter (a); Helena, Mont.; 33; Committee Selection; Multiple Limb Amputee; Male
Nick Kimmel (a); Fallbrook, Calif.; 34; Committee Selection; Multiple Limb Amputee; Male
Evan Mathias (a); Indianapolis, Ind.; 28; Exempt; Multiple Limb Amputee; Male
Issa A Amang Nlareb; Cameroon; 33; Committee Selection
Multiple Limb Amputee; Male
Brandon Rowland (a); Jackson, Tenn.; 43; Qualifier; Multiple Limb Amputee; Male
Jordan Thomas (a); Nashville, Tenn.; 35; Qualifier; Multiple Limb Amputee; Male
Vince Biser (a); Baltimore, Md.; 36; Committee Selection; Neurological Impairment; Male
Jack Bonifant (a); Kensington, Md.; 34; Qualifier; Neurological Impairment; Male
Dustin Boydell (a); Canada; 37; Qualifier; Neurological Impairment; Male
Luke Carroll (a); Old Hickory, Tenn.; 19; Qualifier; Neurological Impairment; Male
Mario Dino (a); Denver, Colo.; 21; Qualifier; Neurological Impairment; Male
Kirk Holmberg (a); Hutchinson, Kan.; 56; Qualifier; Neurological Impairment; Male
Ford Martin (a); Nashville, Tenn.; 31; Qualifier; Neurological Impairment; Male
Kipp Popert (a); England; 26; Exempt; Neurological Impairment; Male
James Van Noord (a); Troy, Mich.; 31; Qualifier; Neurological Impairment; Male
Larry Celano (a); Chandler, Ariz.; 55; Qualifier; Seated Players; Male
Thomas Duffy (a); Utical, Ill.; 25; Qualifier; Seated Players; Male
James Moceri (a); Rochester Hills, Mich.; 35; Qualifier; Seated Players; Male
Michael Nicholson (a); Tampa, Fla.; 35; Committee Selection; Seated Player; Male
Randy Shack (a); Sulphur Springs, Texas; 39; Qualifier; Seated Players; Male
Max Togisala (a); South Ogden, Utah; 20; Exempt; Seated Players; Male
Mariano Tubio (a); Argentina; 44; Qualifier; Seated Players; Male
Dennis Walters; Jupiter, Fla.; 74; Qualifier; Seated Players; Male
Kurtis Barkley (a); Canada; 36; Exempt; Short Stature; Male
Joakim Bjorkman; Sweden; 34; Committee Selection; Short Stature; Male
Albert Bowker (a); Buellton, Calif.; 27; Qualifier; Short Stature; Male
Brendan Lawlor; Republic of Ireland; 32; Exempt; Short Stature; Male
Ricky Reilly (a); Syracuse, N.Y.; 23; Qualifier; Short Stature; Male
Russell Aide (a); Canada; 17; Qualifier; Upper Limb Impairment; Male
Ryder Barr (a); Celina, Texas; 15 ; Qualifier; Upper Limb Impairment; Male
Jesse Florkowski; Canada; 34; Qualifier; Upper Limb Impairment; Male
Alex Fourie; Murfreesboro, Tenn.; 31; Qualifier; Upper Limb Impairment; Male
Harley Hartle (a); Coraopolis, Pa.; 26; Qualifier; Upper Limb Impairment; Male
Ryan Matthews (a); Anderson, Ind.; 38; Qualifier; Upper Limb Impairment; Male
Matthew Olsen (a); Canby, Ore.; 46; Qualifier; Upper Limb Impairment; Male
Sam Roberts (a); Lincoln, Neb.; 18; Qualifier; Upper Limb Impairment; Male
Eli Villanueva (a); Fayetteville, N.C.; 57; Qualifier; Upper Limb Impairment; Male
Robert Walden (a); Mesa, Ariz.; 52; Qualifier; Upper Limb Impairment; Male
Chris Willis (a); Canada; 43; Exempt; Upper Limb Impairment; Male
Tyler Cashman (a); Oldwick,N.J.; 21; Qualifier; Vision Impairment; Male
Bruce Hooper (a); San Antonio, Texas; 78; Qualifier; Vision Impairment; Male
Kiefer Jones (a); Canada; 34; Exempt; Vision Impairment; Male
Paul McCormack (a); Republic of Ireland; 55; Qualifier; Vision Impairment; Male
Jake Olson (a); Huntington Beach, Calif.; 27; Committee Selection; Vision Impairment; Male
Sarah Larson (a); Cato, Wis.; 45; Qualifier; Upper Limb Impairment; Female
Matt Simon (a); Orange, Calif.; 31; Qualifier; Neurological Impairment; Male
Stacey Rice (a); Suwanee, Ga.; 61; Qualifier; Lower Limb Impairment; Female
Peyton Zins (a); Indianapolis, Ind.; 22; Qualifier; Neurological Impairment; Male
Zach Larose (a); Charlotte, N.C.; 32; Qualifier; Lower Limb Impairment; Male
Daniel Wiseman (a); East Lansing, Mich.; 35; Qualifier; Lower Limb Impairment; Male
