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D.J. Gregory Brings Inspiring Story To World Am

For many, golf is a game of birdies, pars and bogies, but focusing on score alone obscures the game’s true beauty – its ability to challenge and inspire its devotees. For some players that challenge might be in breaking par, but for D.J. Gregory every trip to the course is a testament to his will 

Born with cerebral palsy, Gregory’s parents were told D.J. would never walk. He was born 10 weeks premature, and by the time he entered first grade he had undergone five surgeries to untangle his legs. 

But Gregory never worried about the impossible, focusing instead on what was possible.

After crawling for a couple years, he learned to walk with the use of a cane. An avid sports fan, Gregory taught himself to play golf with his right hand while using his left hand to hold himself up with the aid of cane. 

Gregory’s best round is a 100, but in 2008 he set out to do something no modern era PGA TOUR player has done – walk every round of every tournament. The PGA TOUR granted Gregory inside-the-ropes access, and he fulfilled his dream. He walked every tournament round, logging 988 miles over the course of 3,256 holes.

Gregory endured sun, wind, rain and frigid temperatures. He fell down more than a few times but kept marching forward.

He shadowed the game’s greatest players, getting to know some of them personally and chronicling his experiences (read his blog). Gregory, whose journey was the subject of extended features on Golf Channel, ESPN and ABC News, among many others, has written a book “Walking With Friends: An Inspirational Year On the PGA Tour.”

Now, Gregory is bringing his inspirational story to the 2009 World Amateur. He will be at the World’s Largest 19th Hole every night, answering questions, signing books, and sharing his love for a game that has helped push him to do things many never imagined.

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• 19th hole,
• dj gregory