Lawlor trailing 61-man Popert by seven after day one at US Adaptive Open

Brendan Lawlor took just 68 strokes to navigate his way round Woodmont Country Club in Maryland, but despite a satisfactory opening four-under, he finds himself seven behind Kipp Popert.

Lawlor, the only Irish contestant in the field, went bogey-free for the opening round in his bid to add the US Adaptive Open to the G4D Open title he landed for the second time in three years at Woburn back in May. The Dundalk native began on the 10th and birdied three of his first nine holes before adding another on the par-5 seventh to move into a share of fourth place overall on -4 and he enjoys a seven-stroke advantage over American Rick Reilly in the Short Stature Category.

But Kipp Popert, going for three-in-a-row in the USGA’s premier event for golfers with a disability, was in a league of his own. The world number one came shooting from the traps in blistering fashion, going birdie-eagle-birdie on holes two-four, then adding another eagle on seven and a birdie on nine to go out in a seven-under 29.

Birdies on 10 and 12 brought the magical 59 into the equation, but a bogey on 13 momentarily put the brakes on. There was still time to reel off three more birdies over the closing three holes, and he opens up a six-stroke advantage after his 11-under 61.

Last year at Sand Creek Station, Popert set the record for the lowest round ever in the US Adaptive Open’s history with a 65 but shattered that on the opening day at Woodmont and set a target that’s likely to stand for some time.

“I love the pressure,” said Popert after his round. “It means you’re doing something good if you’ve got pressure. I’ve had a lot of months of boredom this year, so give me all of it.”

Popert, who competes in the Coordination Impairment category, was referring to his long layoff from golf following toe fusion surgery in January. While he has undergone multiple surgeries in his life to relieve pain in his legs and feet, the most recent procedure sidelined him for longer than expected and even put his status for this championship in doubt.

“Today was actually the first time I saw the full course because I had to quit after four holes in my practice round,” he said, referring to the pain that flared up again over the last two days. “Yesterday I wasn’t sure if I’d be able to give it a go. But I managed it well during the round.”

Popert leads by six strokes over fellow Englishman Mike Browne (Lower Limb Impairment) and Max Togisala (Seated Player) of Clearfield, Utah. While it’s a wide margin, Browne and Togisala both took positives out of the 67s they recorded today. Togisala set a new championship record for the lowest round by a seated player. “I wasn’t expecting anything crazy,” said Togisala.

“I was just trying to have fun out there. As a seated golfer, this course is really accessible. It’s flat, easy to get around, and yet it’s still challenging.”

“I’m a feel player, and this course requires a lot of feel,” added Browne. “It’s going to take two more really good rounds to have a shot. I’m going to stick to my strategy and do my best.”

There is also a familiar face at the top of the leaderboard on the women’s side – Kim Moore, who won the inaugural U.S. Adaptive Open title in 2022 at Pinehurst No. 6. Moore, of Battle Creek, Michigan, shot a 2-over-par 74 to hold a three-stroke lead over Amanda Cunha, a visually impaired player from Kaneohe, Hawaii, who shot a 5-over 77.

“I definitely left some shots out there, but I gave myself chances and that’s what it’s all about,” said Moore, who plays with a lower limb impairment. “My caddie and I put together a game plan to keep the ball in the fairway and hit greens. If I can continue making pars and maybe throw a few birdies in there, that’s a good strategy.”

Natasha Stasiuk (Lower Limb Impairment) of Canada sits in third place with a 6-over 78, while Cassie Sengul of Virginia, is in 4th place at7-over 79. The defending women’s champion Bailey Bish of Arizona struggled a bit today and sits in a tie for 5th at 8-over 80.

The second round of the U.S. Adaptive Open will begin at 7:30 a.m. on Tuesday, July 8. Following completion of play, a cut will be made to include the following players for the final round on Wednesday, July 9: