Second U.S. Adaptive Open tees off in Pinehurst
Posted July 10, 2023 11:28 p.m. EDT
Updated July 11, 2023 12:11 a.m. EDT
Pinehurst, N.C. — For just the second time, golfers from across the world converged on Pinehurst No. 6 this week for the three-day U.S. Adaptive Open: a USGA championship tournament focused on competition and comradery in the adaptive golfing community.
The field is made up of 96 of the best golfers with disabilities - men and women of all ages, both amateur and professional status.
"We have 30 different states represented, 11 different countries. We also wanted these players to come and tell their stories to the community," Senior Director of Championships Greg Sanfilippo said.
One of those players is Eli Villanueva. The Fayetteville native is one of three golfers from the state of North Carolina in the tournament, and he was the first to tee off Monday.
"For a lot of golfers I think it's a dream just to play in a USGA Championship. I'm so grateful to be even here," Villanueva said.
Houston golfer Abigail Davis is playing in the tournament for the first time this year. The tight-knit nature of the adaptive golf community stood out to her.
"Houston, they just stare at you basically and I came here and everyone came up to me, introduced themselves. Everyone is super sweet here," Davis said.
Perhaps one of last year's top golfers, Amanda Cunha said it best.
"There's so many misconceptions with people with disabilities. If you watch some of the shots that people are hitting, it's incredible," Cunha said. "Just because we may look different, we may seem different, it has nothing to do with our golfing ability."
U.S. Adaptive Open Leaderboard
