SEMINOLE, Fla. — Ryanne Jackson has been there before.
“This year, I would say, I was a lot more comfortable just because I knew the course better than I did last year,” she said.
The Seminole native was runner-up at the inaugural U.S. Adaptive Open at the Pinehurst Country Club’s famed No. 6 course.
“My putting definitely had a big turnaround from the year before,” Jackson said.
An improved game and quiet confidence allowed her to bounce back and claim the 2023 U.S. Adaptive Open title, by a narrow margin, on her second go-round.
The Adaptive Open, put on by the USGA, welcomed 96 competitors from 30 states and 11 countries.
“I was nervous up until my final shot on the green,” Jackson said. “And I had to punch out from where my drive ended. I had 63 yards to the green. After that shot, I looked at my caddie and said, ‘We can’t mess this up anymore.’”
The 25-year-old learned later in life that she has muscular dystrophy. She struggles to lift her arms about her head and has trouble backward bending her ankles.
“It was most noticeable when I was playing basketball,” she said. “In high school (Northside Christian), I always ran kind of flat-footed."
“I would get pushed around a good amount and go falling on the floor. When I got to college, it became harder to carry my bag and walk 36 holes in a day,” she added. “Went to the doctor and had some genetic testing done, and they said it was muscular dystrophy.”
Even with her challenges, her golf handicap is under five.
“The nice thing about golf is that it truly is for everyone,” she said. “You don’t have to look a certain way or be a certain age to be good. Anyone can be good if you put in the time.”
Her next tournament will be at the inaugural Adaptive Open at Innisbrook in Palm Harbor.
