Competition and Camaraderie Shine in Round 1 of AZ Adaptive Open

PHOENIX, ARIZ. — Papago Golf Club flooded with 60 of the world’s top adaptive golfers, opening play for the second annual Arizona Adaptive Open Championship on Tuesday. 

And though traveling from 23 states and three countries, the atmosphere remains rooted in camaraderie. 

“We’re all a super-family,” said Max Togisala, the world’s No. 1 ranked seated golfer (Sport Class G10). “We all relate to each other, I think that’s why we all fit together. It’s still competitive though… It’s a lot of fun and all friendly.”

RESULTS

That friendly rivalry didn’t stop Togisala from setting the early pace. The Utah native, competing in his first Arizona Adaptive Open, posted the only even-par round on a Papago layout which yielded 676 bogeys-or-worse and just 37 birdies in the opening round. 

Togisala remained consistent through 18 with two birdies, two bogeys and 14 pars on the day, giving him a two-stroke lead in the clubhouse at the halfway point of the 36-hole stroke-play event. 

“I was playing my game and hitting greens,” Togisala said. “I was a little sketchy off the tee, but I was just in the rough, I wasn’t in the desert too much today. Pretty good all around.”

Having learned the quirks of Arizona’s desert terrain on previous visits, he kept the driver holstered when needed. Heading into the final round, his mindset remains simple, “I’m just going to play my game tomorrow and do what I did today. Hopefully the putts start to drop a little more.”

Max Togisala tees off during the first round of the 2nd Annual Arizona Adaptive Open on Tuesday, Dec. 9, 2025. (Photo by: Corey Cavanaugh)

On the women’s side, University of Arizona Adaptive Golf Team member Sophia Howard leads at 14-over-par, which includes a birdie on the par-4 13th hole. 

“I had a couple shots today where I was truly hitting out of the desert,” Howard said. “It’s a little hard to judge but we worked with it. The greens are a lot nicer, they roll out more pure and smooth.”

Despite battling a few three-putts, Howard said her confidence on the greens grew as the round progressed. 

“My putting was off the roof today… but overall I’m pretty happy with how I putted and adjusted to that speed.”

Sophia Howard take a shot from the bunker at Papago Golf Club during the 2nd Annual Arizona Adaptive Open on Tuesday, Dec. 9, 2025. (Photo by: Corey Cavanaugh)

For many competitors, Papago’s desert layout offers a steep learning curve. Andrew Austen, with limited desert-golf experience, relied heavily on Monday’s practice round to prepare for the challenge.

“Just being out here yesterday, allowing us to play a practice round, we got to understand the course, the greens,” Austen said. “If you want to score, you gotta putt well. So I got a greens book, which was clutch, and then just gotta make sure you’re doing your homework.”

Austen (Men's Arm-Assisted, G5) carded a three-over-round to sit in a tie for third at the halfway mark of the tournament. 

The same faces return to Papago on Wednesday, December 10, for the final round of play. A men’s and women’s overall champion will be crowned as well as winners for each impairment category.

NOTABLE

• Monday’s practice round brought a hole-in-one from Vincent Biser (Men’s Arm-Unassisted (G4) on hole 8 from 154 yards out, with a 6-iron.
• Hole 3 proved itself the hardest hole on the course, with a 6.0 stroke average throughout the field.
• The front nine served the field with the easiest hole on the course as well, with a smooth 3.0 average on the par-3 8th hole.
• The front nine of the course took the prize for most birdies, grabbing 20 of the 37 total. 
• Hole 15, ranked the second-easiest hole on the course, offered up 5 birdies across the field today.
• 60 adaptive golfers are competing this week here at Papago Golf Club. 
• The golfers hail from 23 different states and three different countries, including three from Italy and one from British Columbia, Canada.
  

• The weather was amazing so I can’t complain. I think we’re all happy to be out and not have to wear a ton of clothing. — Max Togisala (Men’s Seated, G10)

• There are a lot of people here, me and my buddies were saying that this is a really good field. I think some of the state events, as good as they are, don’t necessarily get all the best players. And Arizona is such a fun place to come. So the field here is amazing. — Andrew Austen (Men’s Arm-Assisted, G5)
• Who invented water? — Sophia Howard (Women’s Arm-Assisted, G5) said, following a 9 on the first hole.
• I was in the desert quite a bit yesterday during the practice round, and I do not have a desert club, which everyone’s been telling me about. — Andrew Austen (Men’s Arm-Assisted, G5)
• “Feliz Navidad, feliz navidad, feliz navidad, próspero año y felicidad — Larry Celano (Men's Seated, G10), waiting to tee off on hole 12.
• That just shows, you know, that people want to come to your event. The way you guys do it, it makes us feel special and feel like less of amateurs and more of pros, which is what we all want. — Andrew Austen (Men’s Arm-Assisted, G5)