IRGINIA GOLFERS GRACE ANNE BRAXTON AND JUDI BRUSH WILL BE PART OF THE 96-PLAYER FIELD COMPETING IN THE INAUGURAL U . S . ADAPTIVE OPEN , SET FOR JULY 18-20 .
The new United States Golf Association championship will be staged on Pinehurst Resort & Country Club ’ s Course No . 6 , and will include male and female competitors from 29 states and 12 nations . Nearly 300 golfers submitted entries for the event that offers competition in eight impairment divisions .
“ I feel very honored and very happy to be playing ,” said Braxton , 50 , of Fredericksburg , who will compete in the intellectual impairment division .
At 80 , Brush will be the championship ’ s oldest player . She will compete in the leg impairment division .
“ I ’ ve been playing amputee golf for the last 15 years , so I ’ m excited about this opportunity ,” said Brush , of Alexandria . “ I think it ’ s a way of showing people that if you enjoy something and you want to do it , even if you are older and even if you have challenges , you just keep trying to do it .”
Braxton and Brush bring solid credentials into the USGA championship , winning an impressive list of national and international events . The women are also well known in their respective regions with Braxton playing out of Fredericksburg Country Club and Brush competing out of Belle Haven Country Club .
As a former swimmer , Braxton went to the 1991 Special Olympics World Games in Minneapolis before taking up golf in her early 20s . As a golfer , she competed in the 2007 Special Olympics World Games in Shanghai , winning a gold medal . She won gold again in golf at the 2011 Special Olympics World Games in Athens , Greece , and captured the silver medal at the 2019 Special Olympics World Games in Abu Dhabi , competing against male golfers .
“ Most of the time when Grace Anne plays in these Special Olympics tournaments , whether they are national or world level , there is no woman who has come within 25 shots of her ,” said Rick Jeffrey , president of Special Olympics Virginia , who will retire at the end of June after 22 years of leadership .
Grace Anne Braxton has competed several times at the Special Olympics World Games .
ADAM SCHILPP ; SPECIAL OLYMPICS VIRGINIA