Kim Moore Takes Second USGA Crown
By Tom Lang
It was twice as nice for Kim Moore.
The recently former Battle Creek resident and previous Western Michigan University women’s golf coach took the crown of U.S. Adaptive Open in the Women's Overall category this summer in a come-from-behind effort when she was three shots out of the lead after Round 2 of the three-round championship.
Her final round 75 allowed Moore to claim her second career U.S. Adaptive Open title. Moore won her first USGA championship at the inaugural Adaptive Open at Pinehurst No. 6 in North Carolina in 2022.
“It’s so special, being the first to have your name on it twice was a goal of mine, and while it took longer than I thought, that makes it all worth it in the end,” Moore told me before taking part in a special celebrity competition at the Ally Challenge in late August to raise funds for local schools. “It was a special week and everything kind of clicked and I’m excited to be a repeat champion.”
Moore said she believes the U.S. Adaptive Open has certainly helped advance the category of adaptive golf and she loves the current state of the game. Moore said there are so many more camps and clinics being introduced due to the Adaptive Open worldwide. One such clinic took place at Warwick Hills on the Monday of Ally Challenge week, and Moore was helping teach.
“The sponsorships have grown, the media coverage has grown,” she said. “Great days ahead. There’s more visibility amongst the adaptive golf community as well that adaptive golf is available.
“I didn’t even know about any adaptive golf until I was out of college,” Moore added. “That was 2003 and they called it amputee golf. It’s continued to grow and it’s now all-inclusive. I think it was a big boost when trying to get (golf) into the Paralympics. That really helped things blossom and helped grow the game.”
Military veterans have often said that the game of golf literally saved their lives, whether they are amputees or when depression and thoughts of suicide chances are diminished due to their newfound activity. Moore agreed.
“People who have had accidents (car, on the job, etc.) and have become impaired somehow, are now getting into the game – or having known the game before and now understanding that they can do it again. That’s really increased their positivity and mental health. You hear these positive stories all the time. The game of golf can be adapted in so many ways, and you can see it with all these different participants.”
Moore, who was born without a right foot, was let go in late April from the helm of the Broncos and has returned to her hometown of Fort Wayne, Indiana to utilize her PGA of America golf pro status. She is specializing in camps and clinics for people with disabilities but also teaches all skills levels and ages.
