Burr Ridge, Illinois: With great anticipation of the USGA’s inaugural U.S. Adaptive Open, to be played at Pinehurst #6, July 18-20, 2022, the U.S. Adaptive Golf Alliance (USAGA) encourages players who play in the USAGA’s 20-member organization’s tournaments across the country, to register to participate.
The United States Adaptive Golf Alliance was formed in 2014 and is a national coalition of adaptive golf organizations with the common goal of continuing to grow the game of golf for the special needs community and to have golf recognized as a paralympic sport.
The USAGA creates a unified structure and voice for the existing disabled golf organizations in the United States, bringing them together to enhance their shared mission of introducing the game of golf to people with disabilities. The USAGA has grown to 41 organizations across the country that are helping nearly 40,000 disabled individuals play golf annually, 26 percent of whom are combat-wounded veterans.
Edmund ‘EQ’ Sylvester, Chairman/Founder of the USAGA, and a triple-amputee himself, expresses his gratitude to the USGA for organizing the U.S. Adaptive Open: “Thank you to the United States Golf Association (USGA) celebrating its 125th anniversary for bringing “adaptive” golf to the highest level of recognition in our country. Given the status of this tournament, it is expected that adaptive golf athletes from around the world will come to compete. It may even serve as a steping stone for including golf as a new Paralympic sport. We, the “disabled,” couldn’t be more grateful to the USGA, and wholeheartedly thank them for their effort and special inclusion of the special needs community in this fabulous international game. Member organizations and their players are excited about registering and hope they have an opportunity.
In addition to being the leading organization that advances golf opportunities for individuals with disabilities, the USAGA organized the formation of the Women’s Para-Golf Committee (WPGC) last May, with the mission of growing opportunities for the inclusion of women with disabilities in the fabric of society through the game of golf.
According to the Center on Disease Control (CDC), sixty-one (61) million or 26% of adults in the United States (1 in 4) have some form of disability and 36 million of that total are women.
Contact:
Ashley Pierce
Chief of Staff and Office Mgr.
US Adaptive Golf Alliance
900 Oakmont Ln., Ste. 111
Westmont, IL 60559
apierce@usaga.org
www.usaga.org