NEWTON, Kan. – At Tuesday night’s meeting, the Newton City Commission approved an agreement with USGA to host the 2024 U.S. Adaptive Open at Sand Creek Station Golf Course.
KemperSports regional manager Chris Tuohey, who serves as Sand Creek Station’s general manager, said hosting the tournament was one of the most illustrious opportunities in golf.
“This Championship is going to change lives – for the players, for our community, for our company at KemperSports,” Tuohey said. “We can’t thank the United States Golf Association enough for giving us this opportunity.”
Greg Sanfilippo, USGA senior championship director, said the USGA created the U.S. Adaptive Open to give golfers with disabilities the opportunity to play for a national championship.
The U.S. Adaptive Open includes 96 players, including at least 20 women. The players have one or more eligible impairments, such as limb deficiency, short stature, vision impairment, or intellectual impairment. All players must have a Handicap Index® of 36.4 or less and have a WR4GD Pass (World Ranking for Golfers with Disability).
Sanfilippo described the Championship as an event on the level of the U.S. Open or U.S. Women’s Open. The Golf Channel provides some live coverage.
The 2024 Championship is planned for July 8-10, 2024. The City’s agreement with USGA lays out each party’s responsibilities for planning and hosting the event. The City’s financial commitment will be $200,000-$250,000, with the USGA contributing about $950,000. The City will work with the Central Kansas Community Foundation to set up a fundraising mechanism to support the players and the tournament itself.
The inaugural U.S. Adaptive Open was held in 2022 at Pinehurst Resort & Country Club in North Carolina, and this year’s Championship will be July 10-12 at Pinehurst.
The last time Sand Creek Station hosted a USGA event was in 2014, when the course held the final U.S. Amateur Public Links Championship. Like that event, the U.S. Adaptive Open will offer many opportunities for residents to volunteer to help.
