Brendan Lawlor has moved up into a tie for second at the U.S. Adaptive Open at Woodmont Country Club in Maryland, but it appears as though the Dundalk man is playing for second place after Kipp Popert followed his opening 61 with a 66 on day two.
Lawlor started the day sharing fourth after a bogey-free four-under in round one. He followed that up with four more birdies on day two, but carded his first bogey of the tournament also in a three-under 69 that moved him alongside Australian Lachlan Wood at -7.
“I hit it pretty good all day, didn’t put myself in much trouble,” Lawlor said. “Was pretty solid, but the last two days I definitely didn’t take advantage of the par 5s so that’s something I’m going to try and do tomorrow, try and get a few birdies, maybe an eagle. But seven-under after two days, one bogey, so I’m pretty happy.”
Lawlor was full of credit for Popert and feels that shooting 11-under in the first round was something that should make people stand up and take notice of the abilities of the players in the event.
“It’s absolutely incredible,” he said. “I said an interview before, even for an able-bodied person to shoot 11-under on tour is sick. So for someone with a disability to do it is… I’m going to say slightly more impressive.
“So, full credit to him.”
Popert now enjoys a 10-stroke advantage at the top of the board and will play alongside Lawlor in the final two rounds which will be carried live by Golf Channel, and that’s something that Lawlor thinks will do wonders for disability golf.
“That’s amazing. I think what we do, we need people to see, and it’s way more powerful when people can see what we do,” he added.
“For Golf Channel to show these what what these guys can do on the course – it’s going to inspire the next generation and bring so many players into the game and, and it gives us unbelievable TV time, something we don’t get much and keep all my sponsors happy as well.
“So I’m absolutely delighted.”
Lawlor has a 12-stroke advantage over his nearest challenger in the Short Stature Category, but it’s the overall title that he was targeting and even though he trails by 10, he’s intent to go out and give it his all on Wednesday.
“There are a lot of birdie chances out there, so I’m going to go for everything I can and see what I can do,” he declared.
Popert, who has a form of cerebral palsy that affects his lower extremities, has been managing intense pain in his feet following a toe fusion operation in January. He was unable to complete a practice round at Woodmont and has had to take extra remedies to treat his legs and feet between rounds. Still, he has a chance to become only the fourth male to win a USGA championship three years in a row.
“The golf bit is the easy bit for me; the foot is the tough bit,” said Popert. “I’ve been able to work on my swing over the last few weeks before coming here so I felt really good about my game. I wasn’t really sure how much my foot would handle, and that’s been the tough part.”
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