A four-under 68 saw Brendan Lawlor secure a fifth-place finish in the U.S. Adaptive Open Championship at Woodmont Country Club, but the Men’s and Women’s titles went to the defending champions.
An up-and-down front nine saw Lawlor birdie three but drop shots on three others to make the turn at level-par and -3 overall, but a storming finish that featured four birdies in the final six holes saw him move up one place on the leaderboard and secure a top-five finish for the third year in a row.
He also claimed the Short Stature Category win for the third successive year.
For the second consecutive year, Kipp and Kim, both cruised to victory by sizeable margins. If that sounds familiar, it should, as these two remarkable players have become the faces of this championship over its first five years of existence.
Three-time defending champion Kipp Popert of England fired a final-round 63 for a 54-hole total of 18-under-par 198, six strokes ahead of 2022 champion Simon Lee and nine strokes clear of seated player Max Togisala of Ogden, Utah and Justin Carlock of Eaton, Colo. The victory etches Popert’s name even further into the USGA history books, as he becomes the first male player to win the same USGA championship four years in a row.
“I’m extremely pleased and extremely proud of all the hard work I put in,” said Popert, who turned 28 years old on the first day of the championship. “I really want disabled golf and adaptive golf to keep moving forward, and I hope I’m helping do that. I just want more opportunities for kids growing up that we didn’t have.
“I’m extremely grateful to the USGA for putting on this championship. If you didn’t, I wouldn’t have the chance to pursue my dreams, really. To play the way I did today is what dreams are made of.”
Two-time and defending champion Kim Moore of Fort Wayne, Ind., also made history and displayed her trademark consistency – fairways, greens, avoid the big numbers. Moore polished off a third straight round of 76 for a six-stroke victory, her third U.S. Adaptive Open title after winning the inaugural event in 2022 and last year’s contest at Woodmont.
“It feels awesome,” said Moore, 45. “That’s my goal coming in here, and being able to achieve my goal was definitely challenging. There were a few holes, a few shots out there that I wish I could have back, but in the end doesn’t matter. It’s all about how you finish. I’m just glad to be hoisting the trophy again and have another USGA championship.”
Popert, who was born with cerebral palsy and has undergone multiple surgeries on his lower body, said during the trophy presentation on Golf Channel that he was thinking about the magnitude of his four-peat last night and decided that he “really wanted it.” That focus was clear from the early going of the final round.
Popert was paired with his closest pursuer, 31-year-old Carlock, who made an early statement with an eagle on the par-5 3rd hole.
“Yeah, it started off with a couple fireworks,” said Carlock, a PGA assistant professional who was born with a condition that caused his fingers and hands to fuse differently. “I was almost pin high right and pitched it in from about 35 yards. So that kind of got us jump-started.”
Popert, however, wasn’t going to fall back to the pack. After Carlock’s early eagle, Popert said to himself “Okay, here we go,” and used it as fuel. He answered his opponent’s birdie with the first of three straight birdies, and made the turn in 6-under 30.
While Carlock, a first-time competitor, added another front-nine birdie, he was unable to mount a substantial charge after that and went on to shoot 3-under 69, good for a tie for third at 9-under 207.
“I’m really greedy, I want to win so badly,” said Carlock. “But overall, this is my first time in the adaptive tournament space, so I’m very happy. It’s definitely a win for me and the family coming out here this week.”
Lee, who won the inaugural U.S. Adaptive Open in Pinehurst, said after his second round that he was going to “attack all 18 holes” in the final round in an effort to add a second title to his collection. He certainly put on a show, shooting a bogey-free, 7-under 65 that included five birdies and an eagle on the par-5 16th hole.
“It feels good but it’s a shame that I ended up second place again,” said Lee, who did win the Intellectual Impairment category. “Next year, my goal is to take the trophy back.”
One player who has also become accustomed to U.S. Adaptive Open trophies is the 22-year-old Togisala, as he won the male Seated Player category for the fourth consecutive year. He recorded a second consecutive 5-under 67, including seven birdies, in the final round.
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