Portage’s Kim Moore Wins Inaugural USGA Adaptive Open
The WMU golf coach with no right foot takes the National Women’s title
By Tom Lang
Kim Moore and three other Michiganders were part of history in July as competitors in the inaugural USGA Adaptive Open, played at Pinehurst No. 6.
Moore went one better and won the Women’s division with a two-day total 80-76-156, winning by a margin of 8 strokes over the runner up.
Moore was born without a right foot and still has a sever clubbed left foot. But that never stopped her from playing college golf and spending four years on the LPGA Futures Tour, before turning to coaching. Since 2020, Moore has been the Western Michigan women’s golf coach.
“I’m thankful for my friends and family and their support and all the people back home that are wishing me good luck and have been watching,” Moore told the USGA after winning. “It’s just been very humbling and exciting for me this whole week, and it’s just been nothing but amazing.
“The USGA really put on an excellent event,” Moore told me later. “We felt like we were right there with the pros in a U.S. Open or the U.S. Women’s Am.”
Moore joined me and Jack Ebling recently on The Long Drive broadcast out of Lansing. You can hear the entire piece here, with CC of Lansing staffer Brian Bemis (who placed 29th in the men’s) joining. He also played in the U.S. Adaptive Open as a right leg amputee, which he lost to cancer as a teen.
“I was told I would never be able to walk when I was younger but my parents saw me hop right along on my stump and saw me take off when I was little and they looked at each other and said, we need to get this girl a prosthetic limb. I’ve had it all my life and I really give credit to those who’ve had some type of traumatic experience (like Brian)… one that can really change the course of their life. For me I didn’t know anything different, so I just need to make little adjustments for things I do in my pretty active life.”
Moore was awarded a gold medal and received custody of the U.S. Adaptive Open Women’s trophy for one year. She also earned a five-year exemption into the championship.
In 2015, the national Women’s Golf Coaches Association created the Kim Moore Spirit Award to recognize a student-athlete or coach who exemplifies a great spirit, mental toughness and a positive attitude toward the game, as well as being a role model to others.
Both golfers were transfixed by how such an event can open the eyes of others worldwide as to how well people who are forced to play adaptive golf can keep up and do well at it. Bemis said the USGA had 400 volunteers at the tournament and another 500 sign up that wanted to help.
“I think we’re going to have a lot of rise in participation in adaptive golf,” Moore said. “I hope that’s what this brings. I’m looking forward to seeing what happens.”
Hudsonville 15-year-old Sophia Howard, who was born without a right hand, finished 13th.
Tracy Ramin of Montrose, a left leg below-the-knee amputee as the result of a car accident, finished 51st among the men. He is a great leader in adaptive golf as the executive director of The National Amputee Golf Association.
“Like Kim said, this was what a U.S. Open or U.S. Am would be like,” Bemis added. “We were the big game in town, and it was awesome. The event in itself couldn’t have been any better than what it was. And I’ve said it before, Kim’s the Tiger Woods of women’s adaptive golf.”
