How to Watch the U.S. Adaptive Open

The USGA’s U.S. Adaptive Open is one of the reasons why golf is the greatest sport in the world. For a few days, 96 men and women will come together to play the game they love on one of the highest stages of golf for the adaptive golf community. It just doesn’t get better than that.

This week, the USAO will be staged at Woodmont Country Club’s South Course in Rockville, Maryland, the same venue where Rose Zhang won the 2020 U.S. Women’s Amateur. It will be the 26th USGA championship held in the state known for crab and Old Bay seasoning.

The inaugural Adaptive Open was held in 2022 at Pinehurst Resort in North Carolina and returned to the No. 6 course in 2023 before moving to Sand Creek Station in Newton, Kansas in 2024. Next year, the event will travel up to the PNW with Sunriver Resort (Oregon) hosting the 2027 and 2027 championships.

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Qualifying events across the U.S. were hosted this year to set the field with 20 players using exemptions. Former champions each receive a five-year exemption and top-5 finishers from the previous championship secure a spot in the following championship. Kipp Popert, 26, of England, and Kim Moore, 45, For Wayne Ind., are both returning as the reigning U.S. Adaptive Open Champions.

If Popert retains the trophy and would earns his fourth straight victory in the men's overall category, he'll become the only golfer to win the same USGA Championship four years in a row. Just five golfers have won three-straight: Willie Anderson (1903-05 U.S. Open), Carl Kauffmann (1927-29 U.S. Public Links) and Tiger Woods (twice, 1991-93 U.S. Junior Amateur and 1994-96 U.S. Amateur) and Popert (2023-25 U.S. Adaptive Open).

Similarly, if Moore is to win again, she'd join an elite club of 23 women in USGA history who have won the same event three times in their career and become just the second player to win a championship three times in the first five years of its existence. Beatrix Hoyt is the only player to achieve this winning the U.S. Women's Amateur three times after its debut in 1986.

All players in the field will compete over the first 36 holes before a cut is made before the final round. Here’s a breakdown of who will make it through to the last 18 holes:

-Top 20 overall men and ties

-Top 10 overall women and ties

-Top three men and ties from each Impairment Category

-Top two women and ties from each Impairment Category

-Any player within five strokes of the leader in their Impairment Category

As for the categories, the field is split into eight flights. The USGA uses the following impairment categories to set the field, assign tees and award prizes.

(Via USGA website and Paralympic Committee)

-Coordination Impairments

-Impaired Muscle Power

-Impaired Passive Range of Movement

-Limb Deficiency/Limb Length Difference

-Short Stature

-Vision Impairment

-Intellectual Impairment

What the Winner Receive

In addition to a five-year exemption to the tournament, winners will also receive a gold medal and ownership of the trophy for one year. Their name will also be inscribed in a plaque recognizing all the 2025 USGA Champions at the USGA Golf Museum's Hall of Champions.

If you’ve never taken the time to watch this event, or if you weren’t aware of it before you clicked on this post, please try to consume everything that’s out there next week. It’s truly one of the best events in our sport.

How to Watch the Adaptive Open

The heatwave across the country led to tee times being moved up for the first two rounds of play on Monday and Tuesday and players grouped in foursomes. Round 1 and 2 tee times are now between 7:30 a.m. and 9:42 a.m. off the 1st and 10th tees.

Coverage includes highlights, live look-ins, and storytelling throughout Golf Channel news programming. Live scoring and highlight will also be available on the USGA app and website. For the first time in championship history, the final round will be broadcast live on the Golf Channel.

Wednesday, July 8: Live Broadcast on Golf Channel: 1-4 p.m. ET

*This page was first published on July 3, 2025. Last updated July 6, 2026.

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