CRESWELL – The winds whispered through the oak trees with splattered orange spots last Thursday afternoon at the Emerald Valley Golf & Resort. Silence enveloped the grassy plains that were sporadically pierced by the whoosh of a club and the loud purr of a golf cart.
In between holes, competitors would ask each other for insights and advice on their mobility, recommendations for prosthetic adjustments and services, and general health advice. There was a sense of camaraderie and belonging that felt different with this golf competition.
“When we amputees get together, it’s like a brotherhood,” said Jim Curley, president of the Western Amputee Golf Association (WAGA). “When we see each other, it’s like we saw each other just yesterday.”
For the first time in its 75-year history, the National Amputee and Adaptive Golf Championships came to Lane County. The event, put on by the National Amputee Golf Association (NAGA), wrapped up Sept. 19.
For the Open Division, Chad Pfeifer claimed the title with a total gross of 147. Following, Sean Mitchell and George Willoughby tied for second with a total gross of 164. In fourth was Dan Garson at 167. Then, Deborah Smith won the Women’s Open Division with a total gross of 191. For the Adaptive Division, Chris Oviatt swept with a total gross of 255 and following in second place was Justin Ayres with 283. For the Senior Division, Dan Garson won with a total of 167 and for the Super Senior, Tim Healea with 176.
Chad Pfeifer and Chris Oviatt, the Adaptive Division Champion at the celebratory lunch after the tournament. CRAIG STROBECK / CHRONICLE PHOTO
Pfeifer, an Idaho native who has now won six national titles, shared that his main pleasure from participating in these tournaments is inspiring his fellow amputees.
“I’m just having fun and competing and playing golf, but it’s inspiring other people,” he said. “People come up to me … over the last few days have said, ‘Oh, you’re the reason that I got into golf!’ It’s pretty rewarding for me to know that my play is impacting other people with prosthetics.”
Pfeifer’s success and media exposure have raised national awareness of amputee golf. He starred on The Golf Channel’s “Big Break” and “Shotmakers.” In addition, he’s competed in celebrity tournaments such as the American Century Championship (Tahoe) and Diamond Resorts Invitational/Tournament of Champions (Orlando).
Pfeifer joined the Army in 2005 then was deployed to Iraq in 2006. On April 12, 2007, 25-year-old Pfeifer lost his left leg above the knee when his truck was hit by an IED. After returning home and while undergoing rehabilitation at the Brooke Army Medical Center in Texas, he was introduced to the world of golf by a fellow amputee who paid it forward.
“He was a veteran too and was missing both of his legs,” Pfeifer said. “He was going around, talking room to room to different veterans. He’s the one who suggested, ‘Hey, when you get your prosthetic, let’s go out and try something.’ And that was golf! And so I went out, I fell in love with it. He got me introduced to golf, and I just kind of went with it after that. But it gave me a new kind of purpose in my therapy, and something I could look forward to day after day to kind of keep me out of the hospital and get me out of the room.”
Pfeifer was also very active and a natural athlete in his upbringing. He played baseball growing up and was always a competitive person. Once he picked up golf in 2009 and “fell in love with it and got the bug”, he’s always signed up for each and every tournament and has been actively involved since then.
Oviatt, the Adaptive Division Champion, was diagnosed with Charcot-Marie-Tooth (CMT) in 1987 when she was 23 years old. CMT is a hereditary condition that causes extreme muscle weakness and muscle failure. She then started golfing in 1993 and has won numerous club championships, but just recently transitioned to adaptive golf in 2022. She has played in five adaptive tournaments, including the USGA Championship this year, where she placed in the top six in the neurological category. Overall, this is her third national tournament.
“To me, the neurological field is the toughest field for women, because, for the most part, we can golf pretty well. But we may not walk very well,” Oviatt said.
All amputees are adaptive players, but not all adaptive players are amputees. Amputee Division must have major physical limb loss of a major joint: shoulder, elbow, wrist, ankle, knee, or hip. An adaptive player can include a broader range of disabilities: mental, cognition, neurological, and any comorbidities.
Oviatt, of Milwaukie, Ore., played various sports, including softball, in her youth. Her father was also a golfer, and they played in many tournaments together. Oviatt believes her athletic background helped her adapt to golf after losing the ability to run.
Despite her condition affecting her mobility, she continues to play with the help of braces and a cart.
Curley, who spent all year facilitating and planning the event, also participated in the event himself and placed third in the Senior Division with a total gross of 184. Curley initially started in the amputee golf world after a motorcycle accident at 19 years old, which forced a below-the-knee leg amputation. However, he always held a long-standing passion for golf since age 13, and continued to play despite his amputation. He discovered adaptive golf in 1989 and has been involved for 35 years.
NAGA asked Curley to take over as president of WAGA – one of the five regional groups of NAGA – two years ago. The NAGA championships rotate each year between the regional groups, and this was Curley’s first time putting on the championships. This aligned with his initial vision of “trying to put Western Amputee golf on the map.” When Curley became the WAGA president, “one of my first things was to bring the national championship here.”
While the annual championship has concluded, one aspect remains eternal and carries on for the adaptive and amputees: their intertwined experience and family bond.
