August 29th
Team Results:
- USA Men: Unfortunately, they didn’t perform well, as one golfer had to withdraw due to health issues. Our star player, Pono Tokioka, struggled with his swing and shot an 88, which he said was his highest score in ages.
- USA Women: WON first place by a large margin, thanks to two strong golfers, Ashlyn Johnson and Erica Pressley. They played well, although not quite enough to finish in the top 3 individually. Next time!
- USA Senior Men: WON first place by a few strokes, Special thanks to James Kim, who shot a 78 to win as an individual.
Individual Results:
- Women’s: Margaux Brejo from France, who is only 17, won 1st place with a total score of 7 under par—yes, 7 under! I wouldn’t be surprised if she turns pro soon.
- Men’s: Russell Bowie from Canada, who finished 2nd at the 2022 WDGC in Hawaii, won 1st place, beating Germany’s Nico Guildan, the 2022 champion. Bowie shot 79 on the first day, followed by 67, 70, and 68, winning by five strokes.
- Senior Men’s: As I mentioned, James Kim from Las Vegas won 1st place by ten strokes over Don Conway from Ireland. Kim grew up in Korea and moved to the USA at 17.
After two rounds of the WDGC, it’s clear that the course is challenging for most of us, except for the top-notch golfers who can conquer it. You can find the link (https://2024wdgc.com/live-scoring) to see who is leading and for other details. Team scores are considered important in the eyes of the WDGF. See the attachment for the leading scores.
USA Team at the closing ceremony.
Jim Hynes, one of the founders of the WDGF, was honored with a moment of silence during our meeting. He is greatly missed and was well-liked and respected among U.S. golfers.
Universal sign language is often used when communicating across countries, as each country has its own sign language. Personally, I don’t know much about universal sign language, and it can be challenging to fully understand it.
The Deaflympics will be held in Tokyo in November 2025, with golf being one of the featured sports. Each country can send three men and three women. The USA is currently screening applicants who meet the qualifications, and the selections will be announced by mid-September.
The future of WDGC will remain consistent, with more emphasis on youth and women. The next WDGC will be held in Sweden in 2026 and in England in 2028.
My Performance:
I had a wonderful instructor at GolfTec near where I live who has helped me improve. I’m glad that distance didn’t bother me much, but I struggled with the traps and thin grass on the bottom of contoured and dome greens—tough conditions! I shot 88 and 86, with a few bad holes where my focus lapsed. Remember, golf requires full concentration and one shot at a time. I failed to execute a few times, which hurt my game. LOL.
Thanks for your support all along. Much appreciated.
August 26th
Team Scoring:
There are three divisions: Men, Women, and Senior Men.
• Men’s Division: Each team totals the top three scores out of five golfers. The USA has only four golfers, so only three out of the four scores will be counted each day. The USA is currently 5th.
• Women’s Division: For women, the top three scores out of five golfers are counted. The USA has five female golfers, so the top three scores will be counted. The USA is in first place by 17 strokes.
• Senior Men’s Division: Three out of five golfers’ scores will be counted. The USA is in first place by 9 strokes.
My Performance:
Anxiety got the best of me for the first several holes, which didn’t help my USA team, as I scored a 53 on the first 9 holes—a score I haven’t seen in ages. However, I managed a 42 on the back nine. Today, I did much better, scoring 11 strokes less than yesterday. More importantly, my 84 contributed to the team total.
See the picture as I played with them first two rounds:
England 🏴
Ireland 🇮🇪
USA 🇺🇸
Australia 🇦🇺
I posted my summary on the US Deaf Golf Association Facebook page, but for non-signers, it might be difficult to understand—similar to when there are no captions for hearing people on TV. Smile.
What’s Ahead:
We have two more rounds to go, and they will be challenging, especially on the greens and in the bunkers. Some golfers, including myself, ended up with high scores because of the bunkers—you need to be an expert to get the ball O U T!
Tidbits:
• Range balls are not included in the package, so we have to pay each time before playing a round. A USA golfer’s grandpa generously donated money so participants can enjoy practicing with range balls before each round. What a kind heart he has!
• The weather here is just right, with temperatures between 75 and 85 degrees. It’s a bit windy, with speeds around 10-15 mph. However, dusk comes early, around 5:30 pm, as this is the winter season.
• Out of the 104 total Deaf golfers, perhaps half of them know sign language.
• We have two hearing referees on the golf course with interpreters, and if needed, they can be contacted via text. Surprisingly, they have been busy.
If you want to know more about WDGC, feel free to ask me and I will
include in next email.