EDINA, Minn. — With 35 players representing 13 different states, the inaugural Minnesota Adaptive Open has brought together skilled adaptive golfers from a wide range of backgrounds.
For Lakewood, Ohio native Sean Collins, the journey to Braemar Golf Course involved a 19-hour Greyhound bus ride from Cleveland to the Mall of America in Bloomington.
Reflecting on the trek, Collins said, “You meet some interesting people, and the bus driver makes it clear that if you’re doing something you shouldn’t be doing, you’ll be put off the bus no matter where you are.”
Collins is no stranger to travel for tournaments.
“I’ve been playing now for about seven years. I’ve played everywhere from Las Vegas, Sacramento, Chicago, Michigan, Virginia, to Missouri. I play about four or five tournaments a year depending on schedule and finances,” he said. After day one, Collins is in third place in the seated player category, hoping to limit three-putts for an improved round on Sunday.
Leading the seated category is Max Togisala of South Ogden, Utah, the world’s top-ranked seated golfer. After carding a 5-over 77, Togisala leads his division by two strokes over Ben Hulin and trails Timothy Herrmann by three on the men’s overall leaderboard.
A seasoned competitor, Togisala has played in the last three U.S. Adaptive Opens, winning the seated division each year. This past July, he set a record for the lowest round by a seated player in tournament history with a 5-under 67 in the opening round.
Though known for his power off the tee, Togisala credits his short game as his greatest strength.
“I’m never in the fairway, but I can get up and down from a lot of places. Tomorrow I’ll probably keep my driver at home, but I just always try to enjoy the time with the people I’m with,” Togisala said.
Atop the upper Limb Impairment (ULI) category is Jonathan Snyder, executive director of the United States Adaptive Golf Alliance. Four years ago, Snyder hit the first tee shot in the inaugural U.S. Adaptive Open at Pinehurst, and he has competed in numerous adaptive tournaments nationwide.
Snyder leads the ULI division by three strokes at 11-over par, thanks to a steady finish over his last four holes.
“Yeah, I finally figured out the wind; it was wreaking havoc on the front nine. It was swirling on a couple of holes, and it really took my ball in different directions than I expected,” Snyder said. Looking ahead to Sunday, he added, “My main goal is just bettering my focus after a good hole. Don’t lose that focus.”
Tim Herrmann of Shakopee, Minn., is tied for both the overall lead and the Lower Limb Impairment (LLI) lead with Kyle Erickson at 2-over par. A two-time U.S. Adaptive Open participant, Herrmann leans on his driver as the strongest part of his game.
“If it’s going straight, it’s good. It usually goes pretty far, it’s the direction that can be the issue, but today it was dialed in pretty good. I was able to take advantage of a few holes, especially the downwind holes,” Herrmann said.
In the Intellectual Impairment category, Nic Urban of White Bear Lake, Minn., leads Andrew Berglund by five strokes. Urban pointed to his birdie on the eighth hole as the turning point of his round, which led to a 1-over 37 on the front nine. He finished with a 7-over 79, but for Urban, the day was more about the experience.
“I really didn’t care about the score—it was about having fun and making it memorable for people. Just having family here and hitting the first shot, that’s even more memorable,” he said.
The competition is also tight in the Multiple Limb Amputee (MLA) and Coordination Impairment (CI) categories. Rob Hanly of Escondido, Calif., leads Shawn Mittag by four in the MLA division, while Justin VanLanduit of Chaska, Minn., holds a one-shot advantage over Mario Dino and a three-shot cushion over John Scott Senz in the CI field.
In the women’s Upper Limb Impairment division, Sarah Beth Larson holds the lead, despite a strained relationship with her driver.
“Me and the driver, we’re not friends. We’ve kinda broken up for a little bit. Rufus and I, because I name my clubs, we’re fighting, so he’s kind of on the back porch right now. I’m bringing in my 5-wood,” Larson said.
Asked about her Sunday strategy, Larson emphasized focus and commitment, particularly off the tee.
“Competition is hard. I’m not someone who competes a lot. So for me, I have to lock in mentally even more than most and not let the nerves get to me. Tomorrow it’s focus and confidence, 100%.”
At the conclusion of day one, 10 players are within five shots of Herrmann and Erickson. The final round of the inaugural Minnesota Adaptive Open tees off Sunday at 8 a.m.