TAMPA, Fla. – The FSGA has announced the creation of the Florida Adaptive Open Championship, a new state championship that will showcase the best golfers with disabilities from around the state and country. The inaugural competition will be conducted on the South Course at Innisbrook Resort & Club on October 1-3, 2023.
“We look forward to hosting our first Adaptive Championship this October at Innisbrook Resort,” said Jeff Magaditsch, FSGA Executive Director. “With the USGA conducting the inaugural U.S. Adaptive Championship last year, this helped pave the way for associations to provide more playing opportunities for the adaptive community. The FSGA is truly excited to showcase their talents this fall."
The championship will be contested over 36 holes of stroke play at Innisbrook Resort. It is open to males and females, professionals and amateurs, with either physical impairment, sensory impairment (vision), or intellectual impairment, who have an authorized World Handicap System (WHS) Handicap Index of 36.4 or lower. A WR4GD or Access pass is required.
The field will consist of 60 players, including 10 eligible impairments: impaired muscle power, impaired passive range of movement, limb deficiency, leg length difference, short stature, hypertonia, ataxia, athetosis, vision impairment and intellectual impairment. Caddies and aides are permitted for this event, with yardages and tees being announced following the close of entries. Entries for the championship will open on Monday, May 1.
The FSGA will join the USGA, the U.S. Adaptive Golf Alliance and several other Allied Golf Associations in providing competitive opportunities for adaptive golfers. The USGA conducted the inaugural U.S. Adaptive Open at Pinehurst Resort’s Course No. 6 in 2022. Since the playing of this championship, interest in adaptive golf tournaments has been on the rise throughout the country.
The Georgia State Golf Association has been a leader in the adaptive golf space for several years, running its first championship in 2019, with Indiana Golf Association adding an adaptive championship in 2022.
The FSGA is proud to join this list of associations with the creation of the Florida Adaptive Open and hope to grow adaptive golf around the state by providing competitive opportunities for the community
"Its very important to Innisbrook to host this event," said Andrew Corry, Innisbrook Director of Golf. "We have hosted adaptive events in the past and its very important to the community here. We have a great relationship with the FSGA and are looking forward to continuing our partnership with the FSGA and hosting the inaugural Florida Adaptive Open."
For more information on this championship, click here.
