Jul 08, 2024

⛳ Hutchinson's Holmberg among field in U.S. Adaptive Open in Newton

Posted Jul 08, 2024 2:17 PM
Photo Courtesy USGA
Photo Courtesy USGA

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NEWTON, Kan. — The third annual U.S. Adaptive Open teed off on Monday morning at Sand Creek Station Golf Course. The U.S. Adaptive Open is sanctioned by the United States Golf Association (USGA).

Among the 96 entries is Hutchinson native, Kirk Holmberg, the lone Kansan in the field. Holmberg teed off at 7:30 a.m. Monday.

The U.S. Adaptive Open is open to both male and female professional and amateur golfers with a Handicap Index of 36.4 or less and an eligible impairment confirmed by a WR4GD Pass. The championship is contested over 54 holes of stroke play. Multiple sets of tees are utilized, and carts are permitted for all players and caddies. A player’s Handicap Index® is the primary factor in determining the field, with the USGA reserving at least five male player spots and two female player spots per impairment category. The tournament also has a cut for the first time.

The oldest competitor in this weeks event is Bruce Hooper (78) and Dennis Walters (74), while the youngest are Ryder Barr (15), Russell Aide (17), and Sophia Howard (17). The average age of the field is 36.4.

There are 32 states represented in the field, led by Michigan with six golfers. California and Tennessee each have five golfers, while Arizona, Florida and Texas each have four. 

This is the second USGA championship conducted at Sand Creek Station, a public course that opened in 2006 and is managed by KemperSports. In 2014, Byron Meth defeated Doug Ghim in 37 holes in the 89th and final U.S. Amateur Public Links Championship ever contested. The course was designed by Jeffrey D. Brauer and is a Certified Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary. It takes its name from the Sand Creek, which borders several holes, and the town’s long history as a stop on the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway.