| Midwest Golf House | Contact: Casey Richards |
| 11855 Archer Avenue | (630) 685-2324 |
| Lemont, IL 60439 | crichards@cdga.org |
| Contact: Tim Merrick | |
| (630) 685-2302 | |
| tmerrick@cdga.org | |
| Contact: Jacob Bomeli | |
| (630) 685-2345 | |
| jbomeli@cdga.org |
| For Immediate Release | June 22, 2025 |
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| MARTIN OVERPOWERS 18TH HOLE IN PLAYOFF TO EARN CHICAGO ADAPTIVE OPEN TITLE | |
| Sunday, June 22, 2025 - OSWEGO, Ill. - Ford Martin (Nashville, Tenn. / Neurological & Coordination Impairment) was worried about where he could shower before his evening flight home at the conclusion of the 2nd Chicago Adaptive Open presented by Illinois Bone & Joint Institute.
That was solved on Fox Bend Golf Course’s 18th green. Fellow competitors Jonathan Snyder (Westmont / Arm Impairment - Assisted) and Tracy Ramin (Montrose, Mich. / Arm & Leg Impairment) doused Ford with water bottles after he claimed the Overall title with a birdie on the first hole of a sudden death playoff with Victor Postillion (Winfield, Ill. / Leg Impairment Above the Knee) on Sunday. “I’m all set!” Ford exclaimed. The 32-year-old who was born with a neurogenic club foot finished the 36-hole event at 2-over par following rounds of 73 and 73, tied with Postillion. The duo returned to the tee of the par-5 18th, a 490-yard par 5 that features a creek crossing at roughly 250 yards. Postillion laid up. Ford turned to what he calls his “superpower.” “I’ve gone for it over the creek all week,” Ford said. “I was practicing hitting 5-irons on the range before the playoff, because that’s what I had in during regulation. I guess I was a little amped up.” Instead of 5-iron, it was a pitching wedge in for Ford after he bombed a sensational 340-yard drive almost precisely to the 150-yard stake. His approach was strategically left short of the front hole location while Postillion found himself well over the green in four strokes. Ford “texas wedged” his third up near the hole and was conceded the win by Postillion. The youngest of seven children, Ford’s birth defect led to many underestimating his athletic prowess. He excelled in lacrosse during high school in Maryland and eventually turned to golf, winning the club championship at Congressional Country Club. It wasn’t until last year that Martin went through the World Ranking for Golfers with Disability (WR4GD) Certification process that allowed him to compete in adaptive golf events. He played in last year’s U.S. Adaptive Open and won the Arizona Adaptive Open before eagerly making his Chicago Adaptive Open debut this year. Expectations met. “Everybody here has been great,” Martin said. “It feels like a major.” Elsewhere, Ryanne Jackson (Madeira Beach, Fla. / Neurological & Coordination Impairment) returned once again to the Land of Lincoln to claim the Overall Women’s title. Jackson, a graduate of Eastern Illinois and the 2024 Chicago Adaptive Overall Women’s victor, followed an opening-round 82 on Saturday with a final-round 81. After a rocky start on Sunday, she notched back-to-back birdies on Nos. 7 and 8 before another red figure on the par-3 15th. “I was just playing against myself and the course - it was a really tough mental battle for me out there today, especially the first seven holes,” said Jackson, 27, who suffers from MS and has weakened legs and shoulders. “It was nice to calm down and finish and put up a round I’m proud of.” Following her victory last summer at Cog Hill, Jackson, an assistant golf coach at Western Michigan, welcomed the opportunity to attempt - and successfully - defend her title at Fox Bend. “I said last year, I love Illinois,” she said. “Any reason I can come back here, I’m always excited to take up that opportunity. I’m not from here, but it does feel like winning in a home state, almost, because I feel so connected [to it].” Rounding out the triumvirate of Overall titleholders was Mark Sissom (Scott City, Mo. / Leg Impairment Above the Knee), whose rounds of 79-78 placed him at +13 overall and at the top of the Overall Senior division. The 58-year-old entered this weekend’s event fresh off the heels of a win in the Lower Limb Senior Division of the We Can Golf 2 Adaptive Championship in St. Augustine, Florida late last month. In total, the $30,000 purse was distributed accordingly amongst men and women competing in 15 different Sports Classifications. Additionally, WR4GD points were distributed following play on Sunday. The CDGA’s summer schedule continues quickly, with the 105th CDGA Amateur Championship, the Association’s oldest event, slated for June 23-26 at Briarwood Country Club in Deerfield. | |
| Chicago District Golf Association The Chicago District Golf Association (CDGA) is authorized by the United States Golf Association (USGA) as the governing body for amateur golf in our region. The CDGA is a membership organization consisting of more than 112,000 individual golfers and 400 clubs in Illinois and parts of Indiana, Michigan and Wisconsin. Golfers receive member offers, a Handicap Index® from the USGA® and competitive playing opportunities, while clubs receive Course Rating™ and Slope Rating™ measuring services, turfgrass diagnostics and educational seminars. The CDGA also creates opportunities for everyone to experience the benefits of the game through adaptive, therapeutic and youth Sunshine Programs, with an emphasis on serving disabled and veteran communities. | |
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