KELLY MCKAY / LMRH MEDIA
In painstaking fashion , Faircloth wouldn ’ t take no for an answer in launching the USDGA .
Not after doctors wrongly predicted he ’ d never walk , but he did so by age 5 . Not after it was suggested , after he fell in love with golf at age 12 , that it might not be the game for him . He ended up playing on his high school team . To this day , at 39 , he has been a mainstay on courses .
So it shouldn ’ t have been a surprise in 2011 that he became the first American to compete in the Disabled British Open . Held at East Sussex National Golf Resort & Spa in the United Kingdom , the tournament featured golfers with a range of disabilities . Faircloth placed 36th , yet it was the camaraderie and like-mindedness of competitors that led to an epiphany .
There were no tournaments in the U . S . like the Disabled British Open , he thought . Sure , there were golf tournaments affiliated with wounded war veterans , amputees and the blind . None , though , showcased golfers with varied disabilities .
“ The USDGA ’ s main mission was to create a championship to showcase athletes who happen to have impairments to compete as one ,” Faircloth said . “ That ’ s our primary focus .
“ I was amazed to see the athletes ’ mindset on what can they do instead of what they cannot do .”
His last line resonated . The U . S . Golf Association ( USGA ) must have been listening .
A PROACTIVE APPROACH According to a 2015 study by the Centers for Disease Control ( CDC ), one out of five people in the U . S . has a disability . That equated then to about 53 million people . Today that number is slightly inflated based on more than 325 million in the country .
It is unknown , according to the U . S . Golf Association and USDGA , how many of those categorized as disabled are playing golf . Numbers aside , it ’ s been enough for the USGA to ramp up efforts to make golf more inclusive .
What better way for the USGA to show its seriousness than announcing in early 2017 that a national championship exclusively for male and female disabled golfers was coming ?
Considering national championships are the engine of the USGA , the message was clear : adaptive golfers deserve a national stage as much as anyone .
“ The USGA has passionately sought opportunities for individuals with disabilities to experience and enjoy golf — through our championships , in how we govern the game , and by promoting accessible and sustainable golf courses ,” said USGA CEO and Executive Director Mike Davis . “ In elevating this work as a
“ Similar to the full set of Rules , the modifications have undergone a thorough and fundamental review to ensure they support and promote today ’ s adaptive golf community and
the greater golf community as a whole .”
— John Bodenhamer
Billy Fryar playing from the SoloRider .
strategic priority and pursuing the creation of a USGA championship , we hope to inspire new audiences to try the game and to love it for a lifetime .”
Since the announcement , the USGA won ’ t posit its ideas about championship framework . There is an internal working group focused solely on gestation and taking the opportunity to design the DNA for the event . More news likely won ’ t be released until later this year or in early 2019 .
Besides the budding championship , various holistic-level plans for adaptive golfers were already in the works at Golf House .
Later this year , the USGA plans to roll out the new set of “ Modified Rules for Players with Disabilities ” in advance of their effective date . They were supposed to be released concurrently with golf ’ s new Rules on Jan . 1 , 2019 , according to the USGA ’ s John Bodenhamer , Senior Managing Director , Championships & Governance .
Bodenhamer added that unveiling them earlier is about making the game more welcoming and approachable for all golfers .
Full disclosure : the updated adaptive golfer rules are an overhaul to the 20-plusyear-old “ Modifications to the Rules of Golf for Golfers with Disabilities ,” which covers golfers who are amputees , blind , in need of canes / crutches or wheelchairs , or those with learning disabilities .
vsga . org J ULY / A UGUST 2018 | V IRGINIA G OLFER 27