U.S. Adaptive Open 2026: Golf at Its Absolute Finest

A Monday Morning That Changes Everything

I've stood on practice ranges at major championships around the world. I've watched the best players alive stripe balls into the distance with metronomic precision. But I have never felt what I felt standing at Woodmont Country Club in Rockville, Maryland, watching the field of the U.S. Adaptive Open prepare for competition.

There's something that happens when you watch Juan Postigo address a ball, or see Max Togisala settle into his VertaCat cart and pure one down the middle. The cynicism that accumulates like plaque on your golf-loving heart — the LIV drama, the sponsor obligations, the endless discourse about who's getting paid what — it just dissolves. What remains is golf stripped to its essence: people overcoming obstacles to play a game they love.

A Field Unlike Any Other

The 96 players who competed this week came from everywhere and arrived for every reason except the obvious one. There is no purse at the U.S. Adaptive Open. No payouts. No endorsement-chasing. The USGA runs this championship at a significant loss, and in the current climate of professional golf, where money seems to poison every conversation, this feels almost revolutionary.

The field includes players missing limbs — some born that way, others shaped by life's unexpected chapters. Jordan Thomas competes alongside Andy Austen, whose one-armed swing is a thing of mechanical beauty, grooved through countless hours of adaptation and determination. Meredith Dwyer plays with a custom-fit prosthetic. Kody Conover, who has Down Syndrome and goes by "Kody with a K," might be the most joyful competitor I've ever encountered on a golf course.

And then there's Togisala, who tied his personal record on Tuesday — a stunning 67 — shot entirely from the seat of his three-wheeled cart. When was the last time you shot your personal best at a national championship?

Kipp Popert's Historic Fourth Title

The headline from Wednesday belonged to Kipp Popert, who closed with a 63 to claim his fourth consecutive U.S. Adaptive Open title. Four straight. In a championship that draws the best adaptive golfers from around the globe. The scores at the top of the leaderboard reached nine under par — numbers that would contend at plenty of able-bodied events.

But what struck me most wasn't the winning score. It was Kellie Valentine, a legendary figure in adaptive golf who has competed for more than three decades — long before the USGA created this championship. She carded a 113, putting out on every hole, and if you think that diminishes her presence in the field, you've missed the point entirely. Valentine paved roads that players like Popert now travel at speed.

The Word That Matters

Community. That's the word the USGA uses, and for once, it isn't corporate speak. Matt Parker, an adaptive player from Chicago, failed to qualify for this year's championship. He came anyway, driving to Maryland to caddie for Jordan Thomas. To support his people. To feel supported in return.

For too long, these golfers existed on the margins of our sport. Hidden from the competitions that mattered. Forced into ceremonial roles or forgotten altogether. The U.S. Adaptive Open, now in its fourth year, has changed that. It hasn't just given adaptive golfers a championship — it's given them visibility, legitimacy, and a place at the table they helped build.

What Golf Is Supposed to Be

Standing on that practice range Monday morning, watching swings of every shape and style, I found myself thinking about what golf claims to be versus what it often is. We talk about honor and integrity and the spirit of the game. We invoke tradition and character and all those lofty ideals etched into clubhouse walls.

At the U.S. Adaptive Open, those words actually mean something. Nobody is here for the money because there isn't any. Nobody is here for the fame because the cameras are few. They're here because golf is worth playing, worth fighting for, worth adapting your entire life around.

If you've grown cynical about this sport — and in 2026, who could blame you — I'd encourage you to find footage from Woodmont this week. Watch Togisala's swing from his cart. Watch Popert close with a 63. Watch Kody with a K smile his way around 18 holes.

This is what golf looks like when you strip away everything that doesn't matter.

Key Takeaways

Kipp Popert won his fourth consecutive U.S. Adaptive Open with a closing 63, reaching nine under par for the championship.
Max Togisala tied his personal record (67) while competing from a VertaCat seated golf cart.
The championship has no purse or payouts — a stark contrast to the money-driven conversations dominating professional golf.
Community defines the event, with players traveling to support competitors even when they haven't qualified themselves.
The USGA runs the Adaptive Open at a loss, prioritizing inclusion over profit in a way that feels genuinely meaningful.