How USGA made the U.S. Adaptive Open course accessible yet challenging | Golf Central | Golf Channel

Andy Stevenson reports from the U.S. Adaptive Open, catching up with Ford Martin of the coordination impairment category and Max Togisala (seated players). Learn how the USGA made the course accessible yet challenging. #GolfChannel #Golf
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How USGA made the U.S. Adaptive Open course accessible yet challenging | Golf Central | Golf Channel
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HIMSELF, HE HAS COVERED THIS EVENT FOR GOLF CHANNEL WHEN IT WAS HELD AT PINEHURST AND SAND CREEK IN KANSAS, AND I AM VERY HAPPY TO HAVE HIM AS OUR REPORTER ONCE AGAIN. SO, WITH THAT, LET ME WELCOME ANDY, HE IS OUT IN MARYLAND FOR THE FIRST TIME THIS WEEK, REALLY GOOD TO SEE YOU, ANDY. GIVE US THE OVERALL ATMOSPHERE AND THE IMPORTANCE OF THIS USGA CHAMPIONSHIP. >> HI, FANTASTIC TO BE WITH YOU, IT HAS BEEN A GREAT FIRST ROUND, IT HAS BEEN A GREAT WEEK SO FAR HERE AT WOODMONT COUNTRY CLUB, WHICH IS SET UP BRILLIANTLY. THE USGA HAS DONE A FANTASTIC JOB PREPARING FOR THIS CHAMPIONSHIP, AND THE PLAYERS ARE REALLY BEING LOOKED AFTER, THE COURSE IS MAGNIFICENT AS WELL. AND IN TERMS OF THE IMPORTANCE, THIS IS ESSENTIALLY A MAJOR TOURNAMENT AND WE HAVE 96 PLAYERS HERE FROM 10 COUNTRIES. A COMBINATION OF MALE AND FEMALE PLAYERS. SOME PROFESSIONALS IN THE RANKS, BUT MAINLY AMATEURS PLAYING IN THIS EVENT, AND I THINK ONE OF THE MOST INTRIGUING ASPECTS OF THIS TOURNAMENT IS THE DIFFERENT MIX OF IMPAIRMENTS, DISABILITIES, THE DIFFERENT SWINGS YOU SEE, THE DIFFERENT THINGS THE PLAYERS ARE HAVING TO FACE UP TO IN ORDER TO PLAY 18 HOLES OF GOLF, AND HOPEFULLY MORE, OF COURSE. IF THEY MAKE THE CUT, ANOTHER 18 ON WEDNESDAY WHEN THEY WILL BE LIVE ON THE GOLF CHANNEL, SO THERE IS SO MUCH TO ENJOY, AND IT IS A FANTASTIC ATMOSPHERE FULL OF CAMARADERIE HERE. >> ARE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT, ANDY. WHAT DO YOU THINK IS THE MOST IMPORTANT THING THAT OUR AUDIENCE TO KNOW AS WE HEAD INTO THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS OF COMPETITION? I MEAN, CLEARLY, MANY PLAYERS IN THIS FIELD HAVE GONE THROUGH CERTAIN TYPES OF HARDSHIPS TO GET TO THIS CHAMPIONSHIP, WHAT SHOULD OUR AUDIENCE EXPECT? >> I THINK THE MOST IMPORTANT THING TO KNOW IS THAT THESE ARE GREAT GOLFERS, THIS COURSE HASN’T BEEN MADE EASY JUST BECAUSE YOU GOT DISABLED PLAYERS. THINGS HAVE BEEN DONE TO THIS COURSE TO MAKE IT MORE ACCESSIBLE FROM TEE BOX IN THE FAIRWAY, THE GREENS MAY BE BIGGER THAN THEY HAVE IN THE PAST, BUT THEY ARE THINGS TO DO WITH ACCESSIBILITY. THE GREENS ARE JUST AS DIFFICULT, THE SAND TRAPS ARE JUST AS DIFFICULT. IF WE TAKE, A 61, 61 FOR ANY GOLFER, MALE, FEMALE, DISABLED, NONDISABLED, AND ANY TOURNAMENT ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD IS ABSOLUTELY REMARKABLE. SO, I THINK WILL STATE IT IS IMPORTANT THAT WE REFLECT THE GOLFERS’ BACK STORIES, AND WE ABSOLUTELY DO AND WE WILL KEEP DOING THAT, I THINK THE MOST IMPORTANT THING TO REMEMBER IS THAT ALL OF THESE OFFERS ARE ABSOLUTELY BRILLIANT IN THEIR OWN RIGHT, AND JUST SORT OF DEALING WITH THEIR RESPECTIVE CHALLENGES. SO, I THINK THERE IS PLENTY TO LOOK FORWARD TO, THE HIGHLIGHTS REALLY WANT TO SHOW IS FANTASTIC, AND THE LIVE COVERAGE ON WEDNESDAY WILL BE A REAL EYE-OPENER FOR ANYONE. >> 61 IS AMAZING. YOU MENTIONED KENT’S NAME, WHO ARE SOME OF THE TOP PLAYERS IN THE FIELD YOU CAN SEE DOING WELL THIS WEEK CUSTOMER >> WELL, I KNOW YOU AND I ARE FROM ENGLAND AND MIKE BRAND IS ANOTHER ENGLISH PLAYER. HE SHOT 67. HE COULDN’T BELIEVE HE SHOT 67 AND WAS STILL SIX SHOTS BY THE LEADER, THAT JUST SHOWS HOW WONDERFUL IT IS. BRANDON MOTTER OF IRELAND IN CONTENTION. ON THE WOMEN’S SIDE, KIM MOORE LEADING THE WAY AT THE MOMENT, BUT AMANDA CUNHA, ONE OF THE INCREDIBLE VISUAL IMPAIRED PLAYERS, SHE’S RIGHT IN THE MIX ON THE WOMEN’S SIDE OF THINGS, SHE IS FROM HAWAII. LAST WEEK’S WOMEN’S CHAMPION, BAILEY, SHE IS STILL WRITING CONTENTION. THERE ARE SO MANY PLAYERS TO MENTION. AND ALSO, I THINK ONE OTHER THING FOR PEOPLE AT HOME TO BE AWARE OF IS WHEN YOU’RE SEEING THE NAMES AT THE TOP OF THE LEADERBOARD, THERE ARE A WHOLE BUNCH OF OTHER NAMES FURTHER DOWN YOU ARE COMPETING IN THEIR OWN SPORT CLASSIFICATION GROUPS AS WELL, AS WE WON’T IGNORE THEM AND WE WILL TRY TO BRING SOME OF THOSE STORIES TO YOU AS WELL. >> THAT’S RIGHT, YOU HAVE BEEN OUT THERE ALREADY, ANDY, TALKING ABOUT SOME OF THE GREAT STORIES IN THE FIELD, WHO HAVE YOU SPOKEN TO? >> WELL, EARLIER ON THIS MORNING, I THINK WAS ABOUT 7:30 EASTERN TIME, FORD MARTIN OF POTOMAC, JUST ABOUT 20 MINUTES AWAY FROM WOODMONT, HE WAS A MEMBER OF THE JUNIORS AT CONGRESSIONAL, HE HAD THE HONOR OF TAKING THE FIRST TEE SHOT THIS MORNING, HE ENDED UP SHOOTING A 5 OVER PAR ROUND OF 77, WHICH IS PRETTY DARN GOOD. AFTERWARDS, I ASKED FOR HIM TO EXPLAIN TO US HIS DISABILITY. THAT’S WHEN I WAS IN FOURTH GRADE, I HAD MY LAST SURGERY, BUT BOTH OF MY ANKLES ARE INFUSED, AND IT IS CALLED A TRIPLE ARTHRODESIS, BUT BASICALLY, A FUSION OF THE CALCANEUS, NAVICULAR, AND CALLOUS IN YOUR FOOT. SO, IF THIS IS YOUR NORMAL FOOT, I HAVE NO SIDE TO SIDE MOTION OR UP-AND-DOWN MOTION. I CAN FEEL EVERYTHING UP TO MY TOES AND DOWN THERE, BUT I WEAR ORTHOTICS TO PREVENT WHAT IS CALLED DROP FOOT. I HAVE PRETTY BAD DROP FOOT, AND IF I AM NOT WEARING THEM AND I’M GOING AROUND THE HOUSE, I WILL FIND MYSELF TRIPPING OVER MY TOES SOMETIMES BUT HOW IT AFFECTS MY GOLF, I THINK SOMETIMES ON UNEVEN LINES, I NEED TO SPEND A LITTLE BIT MORE TIME GETTING BALANCED OVER AT THE BALL. BUT THESE ORTHOTICS THAT I CURRENTLY HAVE, THEY ACTUALLY MOVE JUST A TINY BIT UP AND DOWN, AND IT’S THE FIRST PAIR OF ORTHOTICS I HAVE HAD THAT DOES THAT. I HAVE GONE THROUGH A MULTITUDE OF DIFFERENT KIND OF ORTHOTICS AND THE ORTHOSIS — ORTHOTICS PEOPLE WOULD SAY I BREAK THEM IN QUICKER THAN MOST. >> AND HOW DID YOU GET INTO GOLF? BECAUSE HAVING BEEN WITH — BORN WITH THAT DISABILITY, WHAT WAS IT ABOUT GOLF THAT PULLED YOU IN? >> I WAS IN ALL SPORTS GROWING UP. WHEN I WAS BORN, BECAUSE OF MY LEGS, MY PARENTS THOUGHT I MIGHT BE THE MUSICIAN OR THE ARTISTIC ONE. I AM THE YOUNGEST OF SEVEN CHILDREN AND I WAS JUST EXTREMELY COMPETITIVE, EVEN NOW. BACK AT MY PARENTS HOUSE, WE WILL HAVE SOME VERY COMPETITIVE PING-PONG MATCHES, MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS AND I. >> THAT WAS FORD MARTIN OF POTOMAC JUST DOWN THE ROAD. WE HAVE ALSO GOT VINCE FROM MARYLAND PLAYING, AND ALSO CASSIE SHINGLE FROM NOT FAR AWAY IN VIRGINIA. ONE OTHER PLAYER I CHATTED TO AS WELL, HE IS JUST INCREDIBLE, MAX, YOU SAW A COUPLE OF HIS SHOTS IN THE HIGHLIGHTS REAL, HE WAS PARALYZED IN A SKIING ACCIDENT AT PINEHURST TWO YEARS AGO, HE SHOT A 70. HE IS A SEATED PLAYER AND THAT WAS AN INCREDIBLE SCORE, A RECORD. TODAY, HE HAS DONE THREE SHOTS BETTER, SHOOTING A 67 TODAY TO BE FIVE UNDER PAR, BREAKING HIS OWN RECORD, AND HE TOLD ME AFTERWARDS THAT HE ALWAYS FELT HE HAD SOMETHING SPECIAL UP HIS SLEEVE. >> I THINK I HAVE IT IN ME TISSUE A LOAD LIKE I DID TODAY, AND I BELIEVED IN THAT, AND IT HAPPENED, SO I AM GRATEFUL THAT I DID DURING THIS TIME. >> AND SUM UP WHAT IT HAS BEEN LIKE A WOODMONT SO FAR, WHERE YOU ARE FROM, THE WELCOME YOU HAVE HAD, AND THE SET UP AND EVERYTHING? >> IT’S BEEN GREAT, EVERYONE HERE IS SO KIND AND THEY HAVE TREATED US ALL VERY WELL. >> AND THERE HAVE BEEN SOME CHANGES MADE TO THE COURSE TO MAKE THINGS MORE ACCESSIBLE, LARGELY FOR THE SEATED LAYERS. TALK ABOUT THE DIFFERENCE THAT MAKES TO YOU. X IT’S GREAT, IT MAKES THE COURT MORE SUCCESSFUL — ACCESSIBLE FOR US SEATED GOLFERS, AND IT JUST SHOWS THAT THEY CARE FOR US, TOO, THEY WANT US TO PLAY THE BEST THAT WE CAN, AND WE’RE ALL VERY GRATEFUL FOR IT. >> THEY JUST GIVE US A COUPLE OF EXAMPLES THAT THEY HAVE DONE THAT CERTAINLY KIND OF HELPS YOU PLAY TO THE BEST OF YOUR ABILITY. >> YEAH, SO THE USGA WILL GO OUT BEFORE THE TOURNAMENT AND THEY WILL MARK THE BUNKERS THAT THEY THINK ARE DANGEROUS FOR SEATED GOLFERS TO GO IN, SO THEY WILL MARK IT AND THEY WILL PLAY THAT AS A FREE RELIEF FROM THE BUNKER AND WITH NO STRAW ADDED TO YOUR SCORE. >> AND WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE LEADERBOARD, KIPP POPERT, 61, IT’S RIDICULOUS OUT HERE, BUT WHAT ARE YOUR AMBITIONS FOR THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS? >> JUST DISTILL WHAT I AM DOING, HAVE FUN, AND ENJOY THE MOMENT. PLAY SHOP BY SHOP >> DO YOU THINK YOU CAN GO EVEN LOWER? >> I THINK I CAN. >> WATCH HIS FACE. I BELIEVE YOU. >> I THINK I AM GOING TO HAVE TO IF KIPP IS GOING 61 POINT >> THAT IS MAX, A RECORDBREAKER, A REMARKABLE MAN, BUT THEN WE ARE