USDGA Championship 2023 – Tournament Report
Chad Pfeifer Captures his Second Championship; Bailey Bish Takes Women’s Division
By Craig Dolch
Chad Pfeifer Wins Second U.S. Disabled Open at PGA Golf Club
Chad Pfeifer won his second U.S. Disabled Open Championship at PGA Golf Club.
As expected, Chad Pfeifer won the 5th United States Disabled Open on May 10 at PGA Golf Club for the second time in the last three years.
But the way the dominant player in disabled golf won another title was so unexpected.
Pfeifer of Nampa, Idaho, started the final round tied for the lead, but found himself three shots behind after eight holes to Jeremy Bittner — who was a scorching 4-under through his first six holes.
Plus, Pfeifer didn’t make a birdie on the Ryder Course for the second consecutive day.
“I wouldn’t think there was any way I wouldn’t make a birdie” said Pfeifer, who made six in the first round.
Pfeifer Keeps Calm Under Pressure to Secure Victory
What mattered, however, was Pfeifer kept making pars and eventually Bittner gave him an opening that Pfeifer charged through.
For the second consecutive day, Pfeifer made 16 pars and two bogeys for a 73 that gave him a two-shot victory over Bittner.
Pfeifer, who lost part of his right leg while serving in the Army in Iraq in 2007, finished at 4-over 217.
“It means a lot to win” Pfeifer said. “I know I have a target on my back because a lot of guys are looking to try and beat me.
That doesn’t always make it easy.”
Bailey Bish Wins Women’s Division at U.S. Disabled Open
Bailey Bish, of Tucson, Arizona, won the women’s overall title for her first victory in a 54-hole disabled event.
She shot her best round of the week, an 88, to beat Kelsey Koch by eight shots.
Bailey Bish (middle) won the Women’s Division of the fifth U.S. Disabled Open.
“It’s an incredible feeling” said Bish, who suffers from dystonia on her right side and uses crutches to get around the course.
“Three years ago, I couldn’t even play nine holes, much less win a 54-hole tournament. I am so proud because I have worked really hard the last three years.”
Dennis Walters Wins Seated Division, Villanueva Claims Senior Title
World Golf Hall of Famer Dennis Walters of Jupiter, Florida, won the Seated Division by 18 shots at 28-over.
Eliseo Villanueva was hoping to defend his title after he started the final round tied with Pfeifer, but he bogeyed the first two holes and finished third after a 77.
The consolation for the 56-year-old from Fayetteville, North Carolina, was he won the overall Senior Division title.
“I’m happy with the way I played all week” Villanueva said. “I think the nerves got me on the first couple holes. But I settled down and made a lot of good pars.”
Ken Green and Jack Bonifant Finish Strong at PGA Golf Club
Five-time PGA Tour winner Ken Green of West Palm Beach, Florida, shot 73 and finished tied for fourth with Jack Bonifant at 9-over 222.
Jeremy Bittner’s Hot Start Fades at U.S. Disabled Open
Bittner made it look easy early in his round, as he tried to improve on last year’s runner-up finish to Villanueva.
Bittner birdied the first hole, eagled the par-5 fourth hole when he holed a 50-yard chip, and birdied the sixth to take the three-shot lead.
“It was fun to watch” Pfeifer said, “but it was not fun to be on the opposite end of it.”
But Bittner’s lead vanished when he made a triple bogey at the par-4 ninth, after he couldn’t find his tee shot. He made a bogey on his second tee ball.
“Just a bad swing at 9” said Bittner, who lost a part of his left leg when he was 4 due to a lawnmower accident.
“No excuses; I just pulled it. There’s a big mental adjustment you need to make after coming off that hot start.”
Pfeifer Takes the Lead as Bittner Struggles on Back Nine
Bittner fought back with birdies at the 10th and 13th holes, but five bogeys on the back nine had him settling for another second-place finish.
“It’s always fun to be in the mix, to have that rush of adrenaline everyone who plays competitively wants to have” Bittner said.
“It was an emotional roller coaster, but congrats to Chad. He played solid. He kept his head down, and he earned it.”
Amy Bockerstette Nearly Aces 5th U.S. Disabled Open; Chad Pfeifer, Eliseo Villanueva Share First-Round Lead
By Craig Dolch
Published May 8, 2023
Amy Bockerstette Shines at PGA Golf Club
There were lower scores shot and longer putts made Monday, but nobody had a better time at the 5th United States Disabled Open at PGA Golf Club than Amy Bockerstette.
You remember Amy…
She’s the young woman with Down syndrome who burst on the golf scene at the 2019 Waste Management Phoenix Open, when during a practice round she made a par on the iconic 16th hole playing alongside Gary Woodland.
Bockerstette hit her tee shot into a bunker, splashed it out to 8 feet and made the putt to receive cheers from the large gallery and Woodland.
The heart-warming video has been watched more than 50 million times.
Her catchphrase became “You got this” a motto that inspired Woodland to win the U.S. Open later that year at Pebble Beach.
The day after the U.S. Open victory, Woodland surprised Bockerstette by appearing on the Today Show with her.
A star was born. And she deservedly received more than 15 minutes of fame.
Amy Nearly Aces the Ryder Course
More than four years later, the 25-year-old Bockerstette was her typical upbeat self Monday.
Especially when she almost made a hole-in-one on No. 7 on the Ryder Course at PGA Golf Club with a 5-hybrid.
She responded by waving and blowing kisses to her playing partners.
“That was a lot of fun” Amy said. “I’ve never had a one-in-one, but that was close. It was exciting.”
Pfeifer and Villanueva Share Lead After Round 1
Chad Pfeiffer, whose leg was blown by an IED explosion in 2007, when he was an Army paratrooper in Iraq, is tied for the overall lead with Eliseo Villanueva after even-par 71s.
Tied for second with 73s are Jeremy Bittner, one of the U.S.’s top-ranked disabled players after losing part of his right leg when he was 4, and Evan Mathias.
Five-time PGA Tour winner Ken Green, who lost part of his right leg in an RV accident, had a 77 and World Golf Hall of Famer and Honorary PGA of America member Dennis Walters a 78 in the Seated Division.
Bish Leads Women’s Division; Bockerstette Competing Strong
Bailey Bish leads Kelsey Koch by four shots in the Women’s Overall Division. Bockerstette is 14 shots off the lead.
There are 15 divisions covering physical, sensory and intellectual disabilities.
Bockerstette never let a bad shot ruin her mood. She ended the round on an upbeat note when she made an 8-footer after getting up-and-down from a greenside bunker at No.18.
“I just love to play golf,” she said.
Amy’s Impact: Inspiring a Movement
And people love to watch her play, especially that par at one of the most famous par-3s in the sport.
It’s not often what happens on a Wednesday on the PGA Tour becomes so memorable.
“Those 2 ½ minutes changed our lives” said Amy’s dad, Joe, who was selected Golfweek’s 2019 Father of the Year.
“So many people have reached out to tell us how that video has touched their lives.”
Amy and her family have done more than touch lives. They are impacting them, thanks to the I Got This charity they started on Amy’s 21st birthday.
Joe Bockerstette said the charity had raised more than $350,000 with a goal “that golf reflects the diversity of society in its inclusion of athletes with intellectual disabilities.”
Amy has been interviewing for jobs, but she stays busy playing golf and working for the foundation.
“We want to see more of Amy’s friends playing golf” her father said. “In this tournament, we’d like to see more people with intellectual disabilities.
Everywhere Amy goes, she’s kind of the first to be doing these things.”
A Ground-breaker On and Off the Course
Amy already made history when she became the first person with Down syndrome to receive an athletic scholarship to attend Paradise Valley Community College in Phoenix.
She has maintained a friendship with Woodland, who lives an hour south of PGA Golf Club.
They text each other on their birthdays and remain in contact. Even now, Woodland will hear screams of “You Got This” from fans in the gallery.
“We had a special day in Phoenix together and it blossomed from there” Woodland said recently.
“The world needs a lot more Amys in it. Her attitude, her energy is so contagious.
“It’s her love for life. Life is not always bells and whistles. It’s not always going to be great.
The only thing you can control is your attitude and she controls her attitude better than anyone.”
About the U.S. Disabled Open
The 54-hole event runs Monday through Wednesday at PGA Golf Club in Port St. Lucie, Florida.
The United States Disabled Open Championship is conducted by the US Disabled Golf Association with the PGA of America serving as Presenting Partner of the Championship.
Former U.S. Ryder Cup Team Member Ken Green Competing in 5th U.S. Disabled Open at PGA Golf Club
By Craig Dolch
Published on Monday, May 8, 2023
Ken Green won five PGA Tour titles, played on the 1989 U.S. Ryder Cup team and earned almost $4 million as a professional golfer.
But when he leaned on his good left leg May 8 to tee it up in the first round of the 5th United States Disabled Open Golf Championship at PGA Golf Club, he’s not thinking about winning a large pay check.
“I am just playing for personal pride” Green said.
A Life-Changing Accident and a New Chapter
Green’s world changed in 2009 when the RV he was traveling in blew a tire and slammed into a tree off a Mississippi highway.
Green’s brother, girlfriend and dog were killed in the crash. Ken survived but had to have his lower right leg amputated.
He has spent the past 14 years adjusting to a new life filled with pain and adjustments.
While golf can no longer provide him with money and fame, it has allowed him to keep a piece of his former self.
He’s still a golfer, albeit a disabled golfer. And you will see him smile through the pain during the 54-hole tournament, especially when he looks at the other players in the field.
“The biggest thing is how competitive they are” Green said.
“They’re here to play, to do the absolute best they can, not just to show up. I’ve got the utmost respect for seated players and how hard they are grinding it out.”
“Golf is the hardest game on the planet when you’re healthy. Try to be a seated player. They don’t moan, they don’t groan.”
“They have a different respect for life as hard as they are trying.”
“They know there are worse things (than a high score).”
Green’s Competitive Fire Still Burns
This will be Green’s third start in a disabled golf tournament in the last year.
He finished sixth in the U.S. Adaptive Open Championship at Pinehurst last year, then won the Eastern Adaptive Open.
Green’s goal is to lift another trophy, but he knows what he wants is usually out of his control.
It’s not that he’s nervous; it’s the nerves that sometimes shoot blood-curdling pain throughout his body.
“I’d be lying if I said I wouldn’t be bummed if I don’t win” Green said.
“But you have to be sharp to win, and that depends on where my pain is that day. I know I’m going to make some dumb mistakes.
Just try to make at least two or three birdies to even it out.”
When Green was in his prime, there wasn’t a pin he wouldn’t aim at or a long putt he wouldn’t try to make.
That confidence erodes over time to healthy, aging players. For the 64-year-old Green, it’s a hard habit to break.
“I’m trying to understand that I can’t go at certain pins even though my brain still thinks I can” he said.
“That’s the hard part. I shouldn’t be going at any pins unless I’m 140 yards or less.”
“The tricky part is understanding what you can consistently do.”
Eyeing More Starts and Bigger Changes in the Game
Green has gotten only a handful of starts on the PGA Tour Champions since his injury, needing to rely on sponsor exemptions.
He will again play in the KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship in Frisco, Texas later this month, with his status as a former Ryder Cup player.
But even though Tiger Woods showed the golf world differently at the 2008 U.S. Open, it’s virtually impossible to beat good players on one leg.
“The hardest part is having a repetitive swing” Green said.
“Distance control is a big thing. I’ll hit one swing 150 yards the next 158 – that’s a big difference.
Plus, it’s hard to concentrate with all the (pain) meds I’m on.”
When asked what’s the easiest part about playing golf with one good leg, Green said it was hitting drivers.
“At our age, you don’t have the clubhead speed you used to have, so I think that’s about the same” Green said.
Pushing for Greater Accessibility in Golf
Green may be playing for personal pride this week, but he insists there’s a bigger issue here: making golf more accessible for disabled persons.
To be eligible for this event, players must have physical, sensory or intellectual disabilities.
“You have to look at the bigger picture” Green said. “Hopefully, with events like this, we can start making dents into the golf community to get more corporate involvement.
This game means so much to people who have greater problems in their lives.”
Notables in the Field
Other notable players competing include:
- Dennis Walters – World Golf Hall of Famer, PGA Honorary Member, Bob Jones Award winner, and last year’s Seated Division champion at the inaugural U.S. Adaptive Open.
- Jeremy Bittner – One of the U.S.’s top-ranked disabled players after losing part of his right leg at age 4.
- Amy Bockerstette – Young woman with Down syndrome who made national headlines at the 2019 Phoenix Open.
- Chad Pfeiffer – Army paratrooper whose leg was lost in an IED explosion in 2007.
Last year’s tournament was won by:
- Eliseo Villanueva (Fayetteville, North Carolina — Men’s Division)
- Deborah Smith (Rockford, Illinois — Women’s Division)
Among 61 golfers who competed at Laurel Hill Golf Club in Fairfax, Virginia.
The 54-hole event runs Monday through Wednesday on the Ryder Course at PGA Golf Club.
The United States Disabled Open Championship is conducted by the US Disabled Golf Association with the PGA of America serving as Presenting Partner of the Championship.
A Little Help From Some PGA Member Friends Preparing Dennis Walters for United States Disabled Open
By Michael Abramowitz
Published on Saturday, May 6, 2023
World Golf Hall of Fame and PGA Honorary Member Dennis Walters realized last fall that his game was stuck in neutral.
The legendary golf trick shot artist could make the golf ball soar off the tee, but his body — which has been paralysed from the legs down since a golf cart accident nearly 50 years ago — could not adjust to putt, chip, or pitch.
Anything hit off the ground was a struggle, and he needed to deviate from the comfort and norm of playing from a customised golf cart that he regularly used for “The Dennis Walters Golf Show.”
After all, before last year, he hadn’t competed in a competitive event in 48 years.
Turning to Friends for Help
So, Walters, 73, turned to some of his PGA Member friends for advice and instruction, including Bob Ford, Brad Faxon, Wayne Warms, Rob Schaal, and Kevin Compare.
Walters wanted their help in preparing for next week’s 5th United States Disabled Open at PGA Golf Club in Port St. Lucie, Florida.
Plus, on his bag will be another ally, PGA Member Russ Holden, who lives near the course.
Walters and Compare were once playful trick shot rivals.
‘Divot the Clown’ was Compare’s alter ego, and he competed in a friendly way with Walters for gigs around the country.
Today, they’re close friends and confidants.
Most weeks, Compare travels from PGA Frisco in Frisco, Texas, to Palm Beach, Florida, to teach the game.
Frustrated with the state of his golf game, Walters asked Compare to take a look.
What was supposed to be an impromptu conversation evolved into a two-hour lesson, which led to regular coaching sessions ever since.
“Every student I teach has some kind of disability” says Compare, a PGA Master Professional and PGA Education Faculty member.
“You have to adjust to their ability.”
“Kevin is a great friend, a great person, a great instructor” says Walters, who has performed over 3,000 golf shows since 1977, while traveling over 3.5 million miles.
“I’ve learned a lot from him. He teaches in an easy-to-understand way. He has a wealth of knowledge. He can help the tour player.
He can help beginners. It is rare to find someone so well-versed in knowledge who can communicate so well to help everyone.”
Adapting His Game for Competition
Walter’s regular golf car was long ago modified for performing trick shots off 4-foot tees and high arching shots that his show partner dogs – such as his current canine companion, Gussie — would retrieve.
The dogs would also demonstrate math equations with their barks as part of the show.
Crowds, especially kids, love it.
But to compete in the U.S. Disabled Open was no simple trick. His driving was game ready, but the rest of his game was another story.
“My driving was fantastic, I had practiced with my show for 48 years” says Walters, the 2008 PGA Distinguished Service Award recipient.
An honour that has been presented to the likes of Presidents Gerald Ford, George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton; and golf legends such as Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer.
“But hitting balls off the grass was foreign to me.”
Walters realized he needed to get a new solo-rider golf car designed for people who are paraplegic.
Yet, he insisted his regular 90-degree swivel seat, which he invented, be installed – accompanied by a special chair for Gussie, who will be riding by his side in the United States Disabled Open, May 8-10.
Walters adjusted his seat so it would swing out versus him hitting sideways, as he had done countless times before.
“It’s fascinating to watch him play” adds Compare. “He is now playing golf at a different level.”
His game looks to be peaking. Neutral be gone.
“I’ll be anxious to see how it works” says Walters. “It’s a big tourney.”
About the 5th United States Disabled Open
The fifth United States Disabled Open will be played at PGA Golf Club’s Ryder Course, May 8-10, with men’s and women’s divisions (practice round on May 7).
The PGA of America is the presenting partner, and host PGA Professionals are Jeremy Wiernasz, PGA, and Holly Taylor, PGA.
The United States Disabled Golf Association’s mission is to provide people with physical, sensory, and intellectual disabilities an opportunity to showcase their ability in a golf championship at a high level.
Last year, the United States Disabled Open was won by:
- Eliseo Villanueva of Fayetteville, North Carolina (Men’s Division)
- Deborah Smith of Rockford, Illinois (Women’s Division)
at Laurel Hill Golf Club in Fairfax, Virginia.