Korean Triumphs at Inaugural US Adaptive Open

North Carolina, United States: Three days of joyful, inspired play in the inaugural US Adaptive Open at Pinehurst Resort’s Course No 6 ended in a dramatic triumph befitting a USGA national championship.

Korean Simon Lee shot a final-round 71, then went birdie-par in a two-hole play-off to win the men’s overall title over Swede Felix Norrman, while Kim Moore went wire-to-wire to earn the title of women’s overall champion.

“I’m so happy. It feels like I’m dreaming,” said 25-year-old Lee, who was diagnosed with a form of autism that makes communicating particularly difficult.

“It’s pretty cool to be part of a little bit of history in golf,” said 41-year-old Moore, the women’s golf coach at Western Michigan University. “I’m thankful for my friends and family and their support and all the people back home that are wishing me good luck and have been watching. It’s just been very humbling and exciting for me this whole week. It’s been nothing but amazing.”

Moore, who was born without a right foot and a severely clubbed left foot, carded a final-round 76 to finish eight strokes ahead of her closest pursuer, fellow-American Ryanne Jackson, with a 16-over-par 232 total.

In 2015, the Women’s Golf Coaches Association created the Kim Moore Spirit Award to recognise a student-athlete or coach who exemplifies a great spirit, mental toughness and a positive attitude toward the game, as well as being a role model to others. Throughout this week, Moore displayed those qualities in abundance.

“I think we’re going to have a lot of rise in participation in adaptive golf,” said Moore. “I hope that’s what this brings. I’m looking forward to seeing what happens.”

While the outcome of the women’s competition was not much in doubt, the battle for the men’s crown came down to the wire.

Lee began the day with a two-stroke lead over Norrman, also 25. Both players have intellectual impairments. Norrman has tyberios sclerosis, a rare genetic condition that impacts neurological pathways.

Playing in the final group, Lee and Norrman birdied the par-five opening hole. Lee followed with another birdie at the second to extend his lead to three, and then things began to tighten. Lee bogeyed the third hole and on the fifth, Norrman rolled in a birdie putt while Lee bogeyed. The two-shot swing resulted in a tie, and the players stayed close for the rest of the round.

Twice on the back nine, Norrman moved ahead by one stroke, only to give the lead back with bogeys on the subsequent holes.

With a crowd encircling the 18th green, both Lee and Norrman saved par to force a two-hole aggregate play-off. In the play-off, Lee drained a 14-foot birdie putt on 17 to move ahead by one after Norrman missed an 18-footer for birdie. On 18, Lee stuck his approach shot inside six feet to keep up the pressure. While his birdie putt slid by, Lee tapped in for par to seal his victory and enjoyed a celebratory dousing of water from his inner circle.

“Today I played with my mind thinking, I can do it, I can do it, I can do it,” said Lee, who let out a series of celebratory howls when friends doused him with water after he sank the clinching putt. “I had a great time with the other players. The weather was very hot, but at least I got cool with the water on me.”

First-round men’s division leader Chad Pfeifer, who played in the final group with Lee, Norrman, and Jack Bonifant, fired the round of the championship, a four-under 68, to finish alone in third place at even-par 216.

More than the finishing scores, this championship will long be remembered as the first chapter in what has the potential to grow into one of the USGA’s most impactful events.