Attention to detail means more at U.S. Adaptive Open, which sets standard in disabled golf

USA Today

a day ago

The overall men's division of the U.S. Adaptive Open is looking like a runaway with Kipp Popert opening up a 10-shot lead heading into the final round. Australia's Lachlan Wood and Brendan Lawlor of Ireland both shot 3-under 69 in Round 2 at Woodmont Country Club's South Course to take a share of second at 7-under 137.
England's Popert, the No. 1 disabled golfer in the world and two-time defending champion, shot a championship record 11-under 61 in the opening round and added a 66 on Tuesday to get to 17 under.
The top five players in the men's overall competition traveled overseas to compete in the fourth edition of the Adaptive Open, with South Korea's Simon Lee (6 under) and Mike Brown (2 under) of England rounding out the group. There are 96 players in the field representing eight impairment categories.
Lachlan, the No. 1 disabled golfer in Australia, praised the championship's attention to detail, calling it the standard in adaptive events. The 34-year-old is competing in the lower limb impairment category.
"You can drive your cart up to the tee block. You're not carrying your clubs; you're not walking 50 meters with your clubs from your car or 100 meters or more to get your clubs in," said Lachlan.
"Small things like that add up, especially with – I've got a minor disability in what I see, but for other people with big disabilities, it's like those small things add up massively.
"Imagine, you know, walking through an airport with one arm or one leg. How do you get your luggage through, a golf bag and a suitcase, do you know what I mean? I traveled through three airports to get here and I think I did 9,000 steps, and that was the bare minimum. It was like I had walked 36 holes before just trying to fly here lugging three bags and you've only got two arms."
To help get from Australia to Rockville, Maryland, Wood organized a GoFundMe page that details his story. Growing up in Australia, he played off a 3-handicap as a teenager, winning titles back and feeling full of promise.
"Then everything changed," wrote Wood.
A high-speed car accident at the age of 16 shattered his leg in 44 places.
"I remember the smell of petrol, the crunch of glass, and the panic of clawing my way out through a broken windscreen," he wrote. "Two weeks later, I woke up in intensive care with injuries that would reshape my life.
"What followed was brutal … over 30 surgeries to save my leg. I lost a quarter of my body weight. Muscle grafts, metal plates, external frames, and relentless rehab became my new normal. I spent a year without putting my leg below waist height. Even then, doctors said I might lose it. But somehow, I kept it. It's shorter now, fused in places, and I'll wear pressure garments for life, but I kept it."
Wood quit golf for nearly a decade before finding the joy again in 2018. Five years later, he discovered All Abilities golf and is now on a mission to push boundaries.
Wednesday's final round marks the first time the competition will be televised live on Golf Channel from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m., EDT, and Wood is grateful for the exposure. He's also grateful for the travel stipend the USGA doled out for the first time this year, thanks to its partnership with Deloitte.
"This is the, how do you say, this would be the prime example of what inclusivity is, adaptive golf is," said Wood. "Me being the only Australian coming over, I really hope to see Golf Australia come over and witness how well you guys do this."