Home-grown pros show adaptive clinic support
Bruce Allen's drive at the Augusta Municipal Golf Course drew as many cheers as the two pro golfers signing autographs nearby.
Allen didn't learn to play golf until after his left arm was amputated, and he said he wouldn't have had it any other way.
"It was easier to me to learn the game because I didn't have to adjust to losing my arm," Allen said.
The third annual Adaptive Golf Challenge brought together hometown PGA Tour players Charles Howell and Vaughn Taylor and local leaders in support of the Walton Foundation for Independence's adaptive golf clinic.
The organization's GOALLS program (Going Over and Above Life's Limitations Successfully), provides recreational and competitive sports for residents with disabilities.
"I'm just glad to see the support the city of Augusta brings out for events like this," said Howell, a native Augustan who said he regards the city as a "special place."
The two PGA Tour winners and Masters Tournament participants signed autographs and answered the crowd's questions, which ranged from training regimens to thoughts about the players' golf legacies.
Taylor, who lives in Augusta, said his nerves have calmed since his debut in last year's Masters.
"It's definitely easier the second time around," Taylor said. "This year feels more normal. I feel more comfortable."
To help the adaptive golf program, the United States Golf Association presented the committee with a check for $9,660. Judie Thompson, a program coordinator at the Walton Foundation, said the money would go toward a single-rider golf cart and other accessories for the program.
After the meet-and-greet with the golfers, Augusta Mayor Deke Copenhaver proclaimed the first Monday in April as Disability Awareness Day in Augusta.
The group's 18-hole tournament, which paired three able-bodied players with a physically challenged player, began afterward.
Reach Adam Folk at (706) 823-3339 or adam.folk@augustachronicle.com.
IF YOU GO
The Walton Foundation for Independence's adaptive golf program is open to anyone older than 8 and is free to anyone with a disability. The clinic is held at 10 a.m. on the first Tuesday of the month at First Tee of Augusta on Damascus Road, said Judie Thompson, a program coordinator at the foundation. The class will be moved to the third Tuesday of the month for July. Volunteers are welcome.
