Kim Moore celebrates second USGA U.S. Adaptive Open women’s championship

ROCKVILLE, Md. (WPTA) - For Bishop Dwenger graduate and Fort Wayne native Kim Moore, sports took center stage early in life.

“I grew up in a very sports-oriented family here in Fort Wayne,” Moore said. “My dad played golf just for fun, kind of recreational, and he was like, ‘You should try playing golf.’”

Moore’s drive to learn the game, though, came with greater obstacles than most.

“I was born without a right foot and had a severe clubbed left foot and a slight case of spina bifida,” Moore said. “Since it was at birth, it was something I really didn’t know any different. I was always told I could do anything I wanted to do, I could try anything I wanted to try, and I did.”

That former Saint’s passion for the sport only grew. In 2022, Moore’s dedication paid off on a national stage when she won the inaugural U.S. Adaptive Open, a United States Golf Association national championship event designed specifically for golfers with disabilities.

“To have my name first on the trophy was pretty cool, but I was telling myself that I wanted to be the first person to have two names on there,” Moore said.

Over the next two years, those hopes were just off the mark as she finished second both times. This year, though, the fairways felt a little wider, and Moore found herself hoisting the trophy once again.

“When I won in Maryland, I was just super excited with all the hard work that I put in, and relieved as well,” Moore said. “It’s so exciting to have the opportunity to play for a national championship of any kind, and to be able to do that on a platform like the USGA provides is just so humbling and very gratifying.”

Now with her name recognized among the greatest in adaptive golf history, Moore hopes to inspire others facing similar challenges to pick up a club and give the game a shot.

“I was hoping there would be something like this in the future, but I could’ve never dreamed about this,” Moore said. “It’s great to grow the game and to provide opportunities for other players who may be going through some sort of disability, and for them to understand, ‘If this girl can do it, why can’t I?’”

Moore will look to put her name on the trophy for the third time at the next USGA U.S. Adaptive Open in 2026.