5th U.S. Adaptive Open Championship: Inside the Field

FIELD NOTES

Among the 96 golfers in the 2026 U.S. Adaptive Open field: 

Oldest Competitors: Dennis Walters (76), Kenny Gentile (69) 

Youngest Competitors: Tommy Morrissey (15), Ryder Barr (17), Delaney Bartling (17), Dogyoung Heo (17), Russell Aide (19), Sophia Howard (19) 

Average Age of Field: 37.1 

Field breakdown by age: 
15-20: 8 competitors  
21-30: 27 competitors 
31-40: 30 competitors 
41-60: 22 competitors 
61-76: 9 competitors 

U.S. States Represented: There are 33 states represented in the 2026 U.S. Adaptive Open field: Florida (6),  North Carolina (6), Texas (5), Arizona (4), Pennsylvania (4), Alabama (3), Colorado (3), Illinois (3), Indiana (3) New Jersey (3), New York (4), Tennessee (3), California (2), Maryland (2), Minnesota (2), Utah (2), Arkansas (1), Connecticut (1), Georgia (1), Hawaii (1), Idaho (1), Kansas (1), Maryland (1), Massachusetts (1), Mississippi (1), Nebraska (1), Nevada (1), Ohio (1), Oklahoma (1), Oregon (1), South Carolina (1), Virginia (1), Washington (1) 

International - There are nine countries represented in the field: United States (74), Canada (8), England (4), Republic of Korea (3), Argentina (1), Australia (1), France (1), Ireland (1), Spain (1)

Players from Maryland (2): Jack Bonifant (Silver Spring), Ford Martin (Potomac)

USGA Champions (5): Bailey Bish (2024 U.S. Adaptive Open), Ryanne Jackson (2023 U.S. Adaptive Open), Kim Moore (2022, 2025 U.S. Adaptive Open), Kipp Popert (2023, 2024, 2025 U.S. Adaptive Open), Simon Lee (2022 U.S. Adaptive Open)

Current P.J. Boatwright Jr. Intern (1): Thomas Duffy (Chicago District Golf Association) 

Former P.J. Boatwright Jr. Interns (2): Tyler Cashman (Golf Association of Philadelphia), Max Togisala (Utah Golf Association) 

World Golf Hall of Fame Members/Bob Jones Award Winners: Dennis Walters 

Player Profiles 

Delaney Bartling, 17, West Islip, N.Y., has cerebral palsy and qualified for the U.S. Adaptive Open at Haworth Country Club. Earlier this year, she finished runner-up at the Metropolitan Golf Association Adaptive Open Championship. She will make her championship debut.

Bailey Bish, 26, Tucson, Ariz., won the women’s overall title at the 2024 U.S. Adaptive Open and finished as the co-runner-up in 2025. Her final round of 1-over-par 73 was the best of any round in the women’s field. Bailey was diagnosed with dystonia and postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome, a disorder of the autonomic nervous system, which causes involuntary muscle contractions. Her long-time coach is former LPGA player and well-renowned instructor Susie Meyers, who played in four U.S. Women’s Opens.  

Amy Bockerstette, 27, Phoenix, Ariz., who was born with Down syndrome, shares a special bond with 2019 U.S. Open champion Gary Woodland. Bockerstette founded the “I Got This” Foundation to provide golf instruction, playing opportunities and organized events for people with Down syndrome and other intellectual disabilities. She has also been an active participant in LPGA*USGA Girls Golf. This is her fifth start in the U.S. Adaptive Open. 

Jack Bonifant, 36, Sandy Spring, Md., suffered a fractured skull at 6 weeks old that required nine hours of surgery and 10 years of rehabilitation, causing him to lose feeling on the entire left side of his body. Bonifant found inspiration from Jim Abbott, who was born without a right hand and pitched for 10 seasons in Major League Baseball. In 2024, he finished third in the Neurological Impairment category and 11th overall. Bonifant earned a first-alternate spot in the 2021 U.S. Amateur Four-Ball Championship with partner Taso Scilaris. 

Kenny Bontz, 56, Parrish, Fla., was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes at age 11, and with Ewing sarcoma in his leg at 19 years old. Bontz underwent six knee replacements in nine years, leading him to choose amputation to get his life back after years of struggling with opioid and alcohol addiction. He is a member of EDGA (formerly the European Disabled Golf Association).

Mike Browne, 48, England, won the 2023 and 2024 U.S. Adaptive Open Lower Limb Impairment category and placed third in 2025. In 2011, Browne injured his left leg while serving in the British Army’s Royal Artillery and made the decision to have it amputated after more than 30 operations. He was introduced to golf through the On Course Foundation, a charity which helps military personnel rehabilitate through the game.

Brandon Canesi, 34, Northfield, N.J., was born without hands, but taught himself how to design and build his own extended golf clubs that allow him to anchor under his arms. In 2022, he was a member of the USA team for the Cairns Cup, a Ryder Cup-style event for golfers with disabilities. He placed third last year in the Multiple Limb category. This will be his fifth start in the U.S. Adaptive Open.

Justin Carlock, 31, Eaton, Colo., who has an upper limb impairment, qualified for the U.S. Adaptive Open at Goose Creek Golf Club and will make his championship debut. Carlock is an assistant golf professional at Pelican Lakes Golf & Country Club. Born with a condition in which the amniotic sac constricted his hands in the womb, causing his fingers to fuse and develop differently, he has undergone more than 10 surgeries. Carlock played collegiate golf at Northeastern Junior College before becoming a PGA professional. He recently won the Colorado Assistant PGA Professional Championship.  

Tyler Cashman, 23, Oldwick, N.J., placed third in the Visual Impairment category at the 2025 U.S. Adaptive Open. In 2024, Cashman served as a USGA P.J. Boatwright Jr. intern with the Golf Association of Philadelphia where he supported the launch of the regional golf association’s adaptive programs. He was also selected to participate in the USGA’s Pathways Internship program in 2025.

Jonathan Chown, 32, England, has cerebral palsy (spastic diplegic), which affects the coordination and strength on his left side. A golf coach, content creator and member of the EDGA, Chown began playing golf at age 10 and qualified for the U.S. Adaptive Open as a qualifier medalist. Through his coaching and online instruction, he focuses on making golf more accessible and easier to understand for players of all skill levels. Chown will make his championship debut in 2026. 

Amanda Cunha, 22, Kaneohe, Hawaii, won the 2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025 U.S. Adaptive Open female Vision Impairment category. She currently plays for the University of Arizona’s adaptive golf team. In 2021, Cunha was diagnosed with Leber’s Hereditary Optic Neuropathy, which greatly impairs central vision. She was legally blind within three months of the onset of symptoms. 

Abigail Davis, 24, Houston, Texas, won the 2023 U.S. Adaptive Open female Upper Limb impairment category. Davis was born without a left hand as a result of Amniotic Band Syndrome (ABS), which restricted the limb’s growth while in the womb. A collegiate golfer at the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor where she completed her undergraduate studies, she is currently pursuing a master's degree in occupational therapy. Davis secured an exemption into the 2026 championship through her victory in the women’s Upper Limb Impairment category in 2025.  

Mario Dino, 23, Denver, Colo., was born with a form of cerebral palsy that restricts movements on the left side of his body. He is a member of the University of Redlands men’s golf team. An accomplished golfer at Mullen High School in Denver, Dino competed in the state championship from 2017-20, finishing second and helping his team earn runner-up honors in his senior season. Dino placed fourth in the Coordination Impairment category in 2025. 

Maria Rita Fernandez, 57, Argentina, is the first woman from Argentina to compete in the U.S. Adaptive Open. After her vision began deteriorating as a teenager, multiple surgeries and years of treatment left her with no vision in her left eye and limited vision in her right. Fernandez earned a law degree and built a successful career in human resources before becoming a three-time Argentine adaptive golf champion. She will make her championship debut in 2026.

Jesse Florkowski, 36, Canada, was born without a right arm as a result of Amniotic Band Syndrome (ABS) and consistently ranks as one of the top one-armed golfers in the world. He was introduced to the game at a young age by his grandparents and is currently a Class 'A' Golf Professional at Connaught Golf Club in Alberta. Florkowski secured a spot in the 2026 championship by winning the male Upper Limb Impairment category in the 2025 championship.

Kelly Gorman, 31, Delmar, N.Y., was born with clubfoot and arthrogryposis, a condition that causes joint stiffness and underdeveloped muscles. Despite undergoing numerous surgeries as a child, Gorman remained active in sports, starring as a lacrosse goalie and helping her high school team win three state championships. She is the director of the Office of Health Promotion at the University at Albany and competes in sled hockey. Gorman brings a lifelong passion for athletics to her U.S. Adaptive Open debut after earning medalist honors at the Portage Country Club qualifier.

Ben Hulin, 44, Salt Lake City, Utah, sustained a spinal cord injury in a motorcycle accident in 2006 that left him unable to walk. A lifelong golfer who learned the game from his father, Hulin returned to the sport through adaptive equipment which allows him to play from a standing position. A physical education teacher, Hulin has introduced his students to adaptive sports and started a ski program at his school. He is also an advocate for expanding access to adaptive golf equipment, so more individuals with disabilities can experience the game. Hulin finished third in the seated players category in 2025. 

Ryanne Jackson, 28, Seminole, Fla., earned the title of women’s overall champion in the 2023 U.S. Adaptive Open, outlasting defending champion Kim Moore by five strokes. She also won the 2022 and 2023 Neurological Impairment category. Following a decorated high school career in both basketball and golf, Jackson was diagnosed with scapuloperoneal muscular dystrophy as a college freshman.  She and her two older sisters played college golf after being coached by their father at Northside Christian School, where he continues to lead the golf program.  

Gary Joiner, 62, Bluffton, S.C., passed a blood clot through his heart in 2019, resulting in multiple strokes that left him 75 percent blind. A retired police officer, Joiner found adaptive golf after volunteering with a local adaptive golf organization, where he discovered a new competitive outlet and community. What began as volunteering soon turned into competing, ultimately leading to his qualification for the U.S. Adaptive Open. Joiner hopes his journey inspires others facing life-changing disabilities to keep moving forward as he makes his U.S. Adaptive Open debut.

Kiefer Jones, 36, Canada, won the 2022, 2023 and 2024 U.S. Adaptive Open Vision Impairment category. Jones’s father introduced him to golf when he was two years old. At 16, a virus attacked his optic nerve, which resulted in the loss of his central vision. Jones is a CPGA professional and has won the World Blind Golf Championship twice, and he earned an exemption into the 2026 championship by winning the male Vision Impairment category in 2025. 

Trevor Kennison, 33, Winter Park, Colo., was paralyzed from the waist down following a snowboarding accident in the backcountry near Vail, Colo., in 2014. He has since become one of the world's top adaptive action sports athletes, making history in 2022 as the first adaptive athlete to hit the X Games Big Air jump. In addition to skiing, Kennison competes in adaptive golf and surfing. He continues to push the limits of adaptive sports while inspiring others through his resilience and determination. Kennison will make his U.S. Adaptive Open debut after qualifying at Oakmont Country Club.

Brendan Lawlor, 28, Republic of Ireland, was born with a rare bone disorder, Ellis-van Creveld syndrome, characterized by a shorter stature and shorter limbs. Lawlor, the third-ranked player in the World Ranking for Golfers with Disability (WR4GD), made history by becoming the first disabled golfer to compete on the DP World Tour at the ISPS HANDA UK Championship in August 2020. Lawlor earned an exemption into the 2026 championship by way of being one of the five lowest overall scorers in the male category in 2025.  

Simon Lee, 29, Republic of Korea, won the 2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025 U.S. Adaptive Open men’s Intellectual Impairment category. Lee earned the title of men’s overall champion in the 2022 U.S. Adaptive Open, surviving a two-hole aggregate playoff. He has competed in numerous events as a professional on the Korean PGA Tour. Lee was diagnosed with a form of autism that makes communicating particularly difficult. He is the son of a diplomat who served in both Washington, D.C., and New York. 

Kim Moore, 45, Fort Wayne, Ind., went wire-to-wire to earn her second U.S. Adaptive Open women’s overall title, repeating the same feat she achieved at Pinehurst in 2022. She was born without a right foot, and with a severely clubbed left foot, as well as with a slight case of spina bifida. She played four years of college golf at the University of Indianapolis, where she was ranked in the NCAA Division II top 10 and was all-conference all four years. She received the first-ever Kim Moore Spirit Award, which is given to one female golfer in each of three college divisions who exemplifies perseverance and high character. She is also a PGA teaching professional.

Tommy Morrissey, 15, Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., was born without the lower part of his right arm and became a golf sensation at age 3. Since then, he has appeared with Tiger Woods and on several national television shows while demonstrating his golf skills at professional and charity events. Off the course, Morrissey serves as an ambassador for the unLIMBited Foundation, helping raise awareness and support for children with limb differences. 

Issa Nlareb, 34, Cameroon, won the 2024 and 2025 U.S. Adaptive Open men’s Multiple Limb Amputee category with three-round totals of 6 under par and 1 under par, respectively. He suffered from bacterial meningitis in 2018 while competing at the Alps Tour's Ein Bay Open in Egypt. The diagnosis led to the amputation of both legs and multiple fingers, yet Nlareb never lost his commitment to the game and regained his Alps Tour card in 2022. He was first exposed to golf as a child on his daily commutes through his neighborhood golf course to school. Following the loss of his mother at age 11, he found a second family at the golf facility. where he develop his skills while also serving as a caddie.

Joshua Philbeck, 51, Broken Arrow, Okla., was born with Holt-Oram syndrome and without radii in both arms. He has eight fingers and has developed into an accomplished golfer, qualifying for the U.S. Adaptive Open at Oakmont Country Club. This will be his championship debut. 

Kipp Popert, 28, England, earned his third title in a row as the men’s overall champion in last year’s U.S. Adaptive Open. Popert has been playing golf since he was three years old and has become one of the world’s best golfers with a disability. He was diagnosed with cerebral palsy at birth and has undergone several surgeries. Popert leads the WR4GD rankings after three wins on the G4D Tour in 2025.

Chris Roberts, 37, Lewisville, Texas, was born with two partial fingers and a thumb on his right hand. A systems engineer by profession, Roberts qualified for the U.S. Adaptive Open at Oakmont Country Club and is making his championship debut.  

Mandi Sedlak, 46, Kearney, Neb., is a decorated amateur adaptive athlete who captured the 2016 and 2017 Women’s National Amputee Championships. Sedlak, who had her leg amputated below the knee at age 21, co-founded Women's Orthotics & Prosthetics and Prosthetic Healthcare Services with her husband.  

Cassie Sengul, 20, Manassas, Va., was diagnosed with cerebral palsy at birth, enduring several operations throughout her early life to maintain strength in her legs. Cassie is currently a rising sophomore at Drew University in Madison, N.J., where she plays on the women’s golf team. In her second U.S. Adaptive Open Championship last year, she finished fourth in the women’s overall. Cassie also won the women’s division of the inaugural 2024 Arizona Adaptive Open. 

Natasha Stasiuk, 28, Canada, won the 2023, 2024 and 2025 U.S. Adaptive Open women’s Intellectual Impairment category. She is one of nine Canadians competing in the championship. She credits renowned golf coach Carrie Vaughan for inspiring her to stay in the game. 

Jordan Thomas, 36, Nashville, Tenn., won the 2022 U.S. Adaptive Open men’s Multiple Limb Amputee category. He is a bilateral below-the-knee amputee due to a boating accident at age 16. While in the hospital recovering, he started the Jordan Thomas Foundation, a nonprofit that provides prosthetic devices for children. In 2025, he made history as the first double-amputee to qualify for the Tennessee State Amateur and finished T-10 at the U.S. Adaptive Open.  

Max Togisala, 22, South Odgen, Utah, won the 2023, 2024 and 2025 U.S. Adaptive Open men’s Seated Players category. Max was paralyzed in a ski accident in February 2022. While he was a golfer prior to his accident, he had to relearn the game from a seated position. En route to winning the 2025 U.S. Adaptive Open Seated Players title, Togisala opened with a 5-under-par 67, improving on the previous championship low round  for a seated player by three strokes -  a mark he also previously held. 

Rose Veldman, 26, Los Angeles, Calif., won the women’s Multiple Limb Amputee category at the 2024 and 2025 U.S. Adaptive Open. In 2010, Veldman was a 10-year-old orphan living in Haiti when a 7.0 magnitude earthquake struck her village. She heroically raced into a nearby building to rescue a young girl who was trapped. Veldman was able to save the girl by tossing her out of a window before the building collapsed but lost both of her legs in the aftermath.

Karen Veriato, 64, New Braunfels, Texas, was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in 2015 and underwent deep brain stimulation surgery the following year, allowing her to continue competing in the game she loves. An accomplished amateur, Veriato has also qualified for four USGA championships, including the 2025 U.S. Senior Women's Amateur. Golf has been a lifelong family affair for Veriato. She caddied for her husband, Steven, during his career on PGA TOUR Champions, and now the roles have reversed, with Steven carrying the bag for Karen in her U.S. Adaptive Open debut. 

Dennis Walters, 76, Jupiter, Fla., won the 2022 U.S. Adaptive Open men’s Seated Players category. He was paralyzed in a golf cart accident at age 24. He played college golf at North Texas State University and finished 11th in the 1967 U.S. Amateur. Since 1977, Walters has hosted “The Dennis Walters Golf Show,” a one-hour golf trick shot clinic, traveling over 3.5 million miles at over 3,000 performances. Walters is a member of the World Golf Hall of Fame, an Honorary Lifetime Member of The PGA of America and a Ben Hogan Award for Courage winner.  

Chris Willis, 45, Canada, won the men’s Upper Limb Impairment category at the 2024 U.S. Adaptive Open and placed second in 2025. Willis’ right thumb is missing a knuckle, and he is also missing a left thumb. Through surgery, his left index finger has been made into a thumb, enabling him to grip the club.

Lachlan Wood, 34, Australia, was a successful junior golfer in his home country, playing off a 3-handicap and winning junior tournaments in Australia as a teenager. At 16 years old, a high-speed car accident resulted in his leg shattering in 44 places and required over 30 surgeries to salvage it. After quitting golf for nearly a decade, Wood won the Australian Open All-Abilities title in 2023 and finished runner-up in both G4D Opens in 2025. Wood also competed in his first U.S. Adaptive Open in 2024, and in 2025, he won the male Lower Limb Impairment category and earned an exemption into the 2026 championship.  

Attendance

Attendance to the U.S. Adaptive Open is complimentary and does not require a ticket. 

We invite you to attend all practice and championship rounds.  Fans are welcome to arrive prior to the day’s first scheduled events and leave at the conclusion of play.