​Kipp Popert had already scorched the South Course at Woodmont Country Club with a six-under-par 30 on Wednesday, and he stood nine under for the round as he approached the final hole of the 5th U.S. Adaptive Open Championship. Yet that wasn’t sufficient for the 28-year-old, who was born with cerebral palsy and is widely regarded as the best adaptive golfer in the world. A year earlier, Popert opened this tournament with a sensational 61 on the same course in Rockville, Maryland, and he remained convinced he could reach that number again this year when he chose to hit driver off the deck for his approach shot at the par-5 18th. An eagle would have given him another 61.
Popert was eager to showcase his talents to a national television audience on Golf Channel. The plan didn’t come to fruition—he settled for par on the final hole—but the moment underscored the mindset that has propelled Popert to USGA history. With a closing 63 and a six-shot victory on Wednesday in the Coordination Impairment category, he claimed his fourth straight Adaptive Open overall men’s title and became the only golfer to win four consecutive USGA championships. To put that into perspective, only Tiger Woods, who captured three straight wins in both the U.S. Junior and U.S. Amateur, and Hollis Stacy, with three consecutive victories in the U.S. Girls’ Junior, had previously achieved three-peat runs.
South Korea’s Simon Seungmin Lee, who competes in the Intellectual Impairment category due to developmental disabilities, finished second, six strokes behind Popert after closing with a 65. Lee had claimed the inaugural U.S. Adaptive Open before Popert began this four-year streak.
“Well, this is our major. I don’t think I need to explain that,” Popert remarked after the second round, reflecting on what the tournament means to him. “I think anyone who knows me understands why I’ve practiced and played my whole life. It wasn’t around when I was a kid. But for whatever reason, I just wanted to be really, really good at this game, to perform under pressure and win tournaments. I don’t struggle with motivation. I don’t struggle with practicing.”
Popert has been playing golf since he was three and has endured 12 surgeries in his life. Last year, he won three titles on the G4D Tour for adaptive players, and he holds a substantial lead as the No. 1 player in the G4D World Rankings.
In the Wednesday trophy ceremony, Popert took a moment to acknowledge Max Togisala, the Seated player champion. Togisala, from Ogden, Utah, fired a 67 on Wednesday, tying his own event record and finishing in a tie for third in the overall competition while securing the Seated championship for a fourth time. Kim Moore, 45, was the top overall women’s player for the third time, posting three rounds of 76. Moore was born with a clubbed left foot and played with such resilience that her accomplishments stand out as a landmark in adaptive golf.