The Greatest PR Campaign That the Game of Golf Has Ever Seen

The United States Adaptive Open is arguably the most inspirational golf tournament ever contested with players with a wide variety of impairments taking on a championship golf course set up by one of golf's major governing bodies to identify the overall champion golfer of the year as well as the champion within eight disability categories for the men and seven for the women.?

The golf industry’s focus has been on becoming more inclusive and this tournament is a giant step forward as it does a great job of showcasing the inspirational stories of what can be done by some amazing athletes who despite injuries, illnesses, or challenges play the game of golf at a high level of ability.?

When you consider that one in four Americans have some form of disability, the coverage of the tournament has the power to inspire 64 million American men, women, and children. It can inspire those that are currently playing, those that used to play before an injury to come back to the game, as well as new players who decide that they want to make golf their thing after seeing the fun everyone is having. Add to that, the tens of millions of individuals worldwide who have disabilities that might start dreaming about winning the US Adaptive Open Championship.

As we approach the 33rd Anniversary of the signing of the ADA, I am happy that the USGA has developed the US Adaptive Open as the newest USGA sanctioned major championship crowning champions in 8 men's categories and 7 women's categories. It is a great way to recognize players with amazing skill who might have suffered injuries, illnesses, or challenges but whose competitive spirit was not extinguished by their injury. You see, everyone in the adaptive golf community is a champion of human spirit that has the power to inspire others.?

I believe that the US Adaptive Golf Open has the potential to bring hundreds of thousands of golfers back to the game and hundreds of thousands of new golfers to the game.?

This time last year, nineteen year old Max Togisala was six months removed from a skiing accident that resulted in a T12 spinal cord injury and paralysis from the waist down. Prior to his injury, Max had an offer to play collegiate golf at Central Wyoming State University. When Max saw the coverage of the US Adaptive Open, it wasn't long before he had a golf club back in his hand and was back on the course thanks to an accessible cart being made available by the Stand Up and Play Foundation.?

Fast forward one year and Max Togisala is a US Open winner in the seated division after firing rounds of 82-70-80 (232). His three round total of +16 placed him in the top 15 players overall for the men's division.?

Golf is said to be a game that players can play their entire life. Unlike other sports where the athlete "ages out" of the sport because of strength and speed requirements, golf is truly a sport that golfers of all ages can go head-to-head. The seated division was a perfect example of this as a teenager battled a 73 year old World Golf Hall of Famer who was trying to defend his title in the seated division.? Despite Dennis Walters playing 12 strokes better than last year, Max defeated him to claim the seated division title.

A number of years ago, I predicted that adaptive golf would be the next great growth segment for the game of golf and be the greatest PR campaign that the game had ever seen.?

Last year, Dennis Walters said that, "This tournament has the power to create a real movement for people with disabilities. I think we will see much more growth in adaptive golf as disabled individuals now have a championship of our own.”

Thank you to the USGA for recognizing that our adaptive golfers are worthy of being USGA champions. The television and multimedia coverage of the US Adaptive Open as a major championship will undoubtedly help grow the game worldwide.?

About the Author:

Rich O’Brien is a member of the Board of Directors for the National Alliance for Accessible Golf. Rich is a golf writer who tells the stories of golfers who use golf as therapy to recover from their injuries, illnesses, or challenges. Rich survived a complex polytrauma that included a broken back, a broken neck, four skull fractures, and brain damage in every lobe of his brain. Golf therapy was a big part of his own recovery. Now he is an advocate for individuals with disabilities.