Medicine Hat golfer Jesse Florkowski has qualified for the United States Golf Association Adaptive Open in July. (Ross Lavigne/CHAT News)

By Jesse Gill

One-armed Medicine Hat golfer wins qualifier to secure spot at USGA Adaptive Open

May 3, 2024 | 3:01 PM

Medicine Hat golfer Jesse Florkowski has qualified for the third annual United States Golf Association Adaptive Open at Sand Creek Station in Newton, Kan., from July 8-10.

Florkowski, born without a right arm, also played in the first two tournaments with an 11th place finish at the 2023 event and a ninth-place tie in 2022.

Needing a victory in the qualifier to secure his place in the open, Florkowski sat in a three-way tie at two-under-par after 18 holes at the Goose Creek Golf Club in Jurupa Valley, Calif.

In the playoff, he knocked down a long birdie putt to claim victory.

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“Super excited. I had a chance on 18 in the regulation to win. I missed a 15-footer, but yeah, it was nice to see the 35-footer go in, in the playoff,” Florkowski said.

“Each qualifier, there’s only one guaranteed spot. After the six qualifying sites are done, they’ll use a score differential format,” he added.

“All the people that didn’t win, they can still have a chance to make it, depending on how they scored, depending on how the course was rated.”

This was the first time he’s had to play in a qualifier to earn a spot.

“The first two years they actually didn’t have any qualifiers. It was kind of just based off your golf handicap. And if you had a lower handicap in your division, you kind of got pretty much a guaranteed spot,” Florkowski said.

“There was a lot of guys that were going in there with low handicaps and didn’t really play very good. So now it gives everyone a fair chance to make the championship. I think it’s a good change.”

Florkowski said this is a huge opportunity and he is happy to see the growth in the adaptive golf community, with good things on the horizon.

“Thankful for the USGA hosting these events and for the G4D tour. A couple years ago they started a world ranking system so there’s an actual world ranking system for adaptive golfers, and there’s more and more events happening.” Florkowski said.

“The PGA Tour just put on their first adaptive event last week at the Byron Nelson. So, yeah, it’s pretty cool.”

Since the world ranking system came into place, Florkowski has continued to be one of the top rated adaptive golfers in the world and at the top in the one-armed category.