Bell wins 31st State Amputee Golf tourney

Published 6:30 pm Friday, July 19, 2024

Right-leg amputee Jack Bell became a two-time winner of the Georgia State Amputee Golf Tournament last weekend.

The Elberton resident posted a two-day 160 with an 81 in round one last Saturday and a 79 in round two Sunday to defeat second-place Jarrad Young by three strokes in the 31st installment of the event that has been held locally for over three decades now.

The Club at Lake Sinclair played host to 35 amputee golfers from around the southeastern United States and as far away as Illinois.

“Everything was great. We had a good turnout. Everyone enjoyed the heat,” tournament coordinator Bill Eason said with a laugh, “and they’re ready to come back next year.”

The event’s full name is the Ray Rice Sr. Memorial Georgia Amputee Golf Tournament. Its namesake became an amputee after losing his leg in a hunting accident at the age of 17. Rice, in the 1960s, played a role in creating Georgia’s amputee golf tournament in Warm Springs, where it was held until 1987 when he passed away.

Rice’s family a few years later wanted to bring the tournament back in his memory, and turned to family friend Eason, a practicing orthotist in Milledgeville, to help. Since coming to Milledgeville in the 1990s, the tournament has bounced back and forth between The Club and Little Fishing Creek.

And although it’s referred to as Georgia’s state amputee golf championship, participants do not have to be from the Peach State in order to compete. Last year the tournament even had its first international participant in 10-year-old Andreas Ma from China.

What is required of the participants is that they have a major joint amputation. A lost finger or toe won’t get you into the tournament field. Everyones’ story is different. Some golfers were born missing a limb or limbs or had amputations done at an early age, so they don’t know the game any other way. Others enjoyed the sport before losing a limb, so they had to adapt their swings. And still others never picked up a club until after their amputation. Their backgrounds may vary, but all have figured ways to overcome a significant hurdle to enjoy the game of golf.

While the actual amputee competition lasts two days, the full event takes place over three with a family and friends scramble held last Friday, July 12.

Eason is grateful for the help he receives in putting the tournament on each year. It’s that support that keeps the state amputee championship in Milledgeville.

“I can’t thank the community enough for what they’ve done for this tournament,” said Eason. “The people have been super nice to us here the last 30 years. We appreciate ‘em.”