Ohio Golf Journal August 2019

Double Amputee Sets ParaLong Drive Record Evan Mathias was born without legs and has relied on the use of prosthetics for most of his life. “I had congenital defects, no limbs. They basically did reconstructive surgeries. I was born with just a couple of toes.” Playing golf is hard, just getting a golf ball airborne is challenging for most golfers with two arms and two legs. Mathias never let these minor challenges stop him from learning the game of golf. He picked up his first golf club at the age of 3 and became enamored with the game. He played on his high school team, as well as, on Marian University Indianapolis collegiate golf team. He won the Georgia State Amputee Golf Tournament three consecutive years and was invited to participate in the ParaLong Drive Cup in Mesquite, Nevada. The ParaLong Drive Cup is held in conjunction with a regional qualifier for the World Long Drive Association. It brings together golfers with disabilities that have overcome their physical limitations and want to compete with other physically limited golfers. Rich O’Brien, also a participant in the ParaLong Drive Cup, told us, “I warmed up next to Evan and was amazed at his effortless power despite being a bilateral amputee. To make it even more amazing, he was using a borrowed long driver and hitting it for the first time. I had a feeling that Chris Osborne’s record of 332 yards was in jeopardy with this 23-year-old in the field.” With a borrowed driver and little practice, Mathias bombed a drive 398 yards during the first day of competition. “I knew it was long when I hit it.” Ohio Golf Journal Adaptive Golf