Some of the world’s top golfers were at the Ridgewood Country Club in Paramus this week for a PGA Tour event.
Wednesday was not only the pro-am day, but also a day where some of the top golf pros played with the top Special Olympic golfers.
“It is truly awesome,” says Special Olympian Scott Rohrer.
Rohrer is the No. 1 Special Olympics golfer in the world. He was selected to play three holes of golf with a PGA Tour professional. Rohrer and eight more of the top Special Olympics athletes were flown in from around the country to participate in the event dubbed “Unified Day on the Course” at the golf club.
“Pretty much the best feeling out here, especially for me and all the other guys. It's truly, truly special,” Rohrer says.
PGA pros J.J. Spaun, Rafa Cabrera Bello and James Hahn participated in the event. They say that they were honored to play with the Special Olympics golfers.
“It's pretty incredible how talented they are. They work really hard, and you can see that in their games, and they're very impressive,” Spaun says.
For some of the Special Olympians, it was the first time they played with a PGA pro at a PGA Tour event.
But not for Tyler Lagasse, who once played in a pro-am event, birdied the 18th hole and then received a congratulations from his hero, Tiger Woods.
“When someone as big a name as Tiger Woods comes up to you and says something like that, you know that you did something very, very special. And nothing can take it away from you. Nothing,” Lagasse says.