30 players walked onto the tee box today for the Indiana Adaptive Golf Championship at the Golf Club of Indiana, each competing in one of ten impairment categories, as well as for the overall titles. When the last swing was made, Evan Mathias of Indianapolis, Indiana and Sophia Howard of Hudsonville, Michigan came out as the overall men’s and women’s champions. Returning from last year’s Inaugural event and coming out on top in the Overall Senior division is Eric Huber of Indianapolis, Indiana.
Mathias, -5 (69,70) and Howard +38 (88,94) are not strangers to the Adaptive Golf avenue, both holding impressive titles on the National level. Both players have competed in the 2022 and 2023 U.S. Adaptive Opens, with Mathias winning the Multiple Leg division this year and closing out the event 29th overall. He also holds a ParaLong Drive record of 398 yards. Mathias was born with congenital defects to both legs and has been on prosthetics since he was one year old.
“The U.S. Adaptive Open is such an amazing experience. It’s a tournament unlike any other that we have. I didn’t play as well as I wanted to but it was still enough to win my division, so that was really cool and it guarantees me a spot for next year in Kansas.
Mathias added “It’s a great experience and coming out here to play in the Indiana Championship is really fun to do.”
Aside from playing in the 2024 U.S. Adaptive Open and Indiana Adaptive Golf Championship, Mathias was selected to play in The Cairns Cup next year in Detroit, Michigan where he will compete on Team USA.
Howard, representing the Arm-Assisted division, joins the field as the youngest player on the course, and is ranked second in the nation in the U.S. Adaptive Golf Alliance’s rankings. She was just fifteen years old and the youngest player in the first U.S. Adaptive Open in 2022 and recently had a solid performance at the 2023 competition.
“I would like to see more female representation in the Adaptive circuit. Most of the times you come out to tournaments and there are only 3-4 female players. And just more equality between men and women in just all aspects of tournaments” said Howard.
She added “It means a lot to win this. I have great parents, a great support team, and great sponsors. It just means a lot to come out here and have everyone support me at something like this.”
Huber +22 (85,81) has played in both of the Indiana Adaptive Golf Championships and finished this year on top in the Overall Senior division, twenty-two strokes lower than last year.
Divisions
Above Knee (G1) – Dustin Trout
Below Knee (G2) – Lucas Jones
Multiple Leg (G3) – Evan Mathias
Arm-Unassisted (G4) – Chris Wood
Arm-Assisted (G5) – Jonathan Snyder and Ryan Matthews
Arm & Leg Imp. (G7) – Tracy Ramin
CP/MD (G8) – Jarrett Fultz
Seated (G9 & G10) – Jimmy Moceri
Blind (G11, G12, G13) – Kenny Gentile
Short Stature (G14) – Ethan Crough
Overall Senior – Eric Huber
Overall Men’s – Evan Mathias
Overall Women’s – Sophia Howard