5 things to know about the new event at Pinehurst

VILLAGE OF PINEHURST, North Carolina – The inaugural U.S. Adaptive Open begins on Monday at Pinehurst No. 6 and 96 competitors are on hand for the historic event.

Amy Bockerstette, who rose to fame with her fabulous par from a greenside bunker at the WM Phoenix Open alongside playing partner Gary Woodland, will compete in the intellectual impairment category. She recently fielded a good-luck call from One Direction’s Niall Horan. She talks to Woodland weekly.

“I love playing golf tournaments,” said an excited Bockerstette on the eve of the event. Bockerstette and her family have since founded the I Got This Foundation to provide golf instruction, playing opportunities and organized events for people with Down Syndrome and other intellectual disabilities.

The 54-hole Adaptive Open will be staged July 18-20 and will feature at least five male players and two females in each impairment category: arm impairment, leg impairment, multiple limb amputee, vision impairment, intellectual impairment, neurological impairment, seated players and short stature.

There are 15 players in the field with a Handicap Index better than 0.

Here are five things to know about the USGA’s 15th championship:

How No. 6 will be set up

The U.S. Adaptive Open Women’s Trophy and U.S. Adaptive Open Men’s Trophy as seen during a practice round for the 2022 U.S. Adaptive Open at Pinehurst No. 6 in the Pinehurst, N.C. on Sunday, July 17, 2022. (Copyright USGA/John Mummert)

Pinehurst No. 6 will be set up to four separate yardages, with the longest (blue) at 6,500 yards (men’s arm impairment, intellectual impairment, leg impairment, multiple limb amputee, neurological impairment, short stature). The white tees will be set at 6,100 for male players in the vision impairment category.

Men in the seated category will compete from 5,100 yards (red tees) along with women in the arm impairment, intellectual impairment, leg impairment, neurological impairment and vision impairment.

Finally, women who are multiple limb amputees and seated players will compete from the yellow tees at 4,700 yards.

Carts are permitted for all players and caddies, and men and women will compete alongside each other in the same groups.

Who’s in the field

The USGA accepted 299 entries for the inaugural championship, which was open to any professional or amateur golfer with a Handicap Index not exceeding 36.4 who has an eligible impairment…