“I’ll make sure you get cash prizes”, world no.1 disabled golfer Kipp Popert promised local talent Andreas Ma, 12, after a chipping lesson between rounds at the Hong Kong Open last month.
Popert’s inclusion marked the first time in tournament history that a handicapped golfer Play with the pros. He is also the first golfer with cerebral palsy to participate in the international series on the Asian circuit.
Bridging the gap between disabled and able-bodied golf has long been the 26-year-old Briton’s dream – but inspiring young talent some 6,000 miles away is a welcome by-product.
Ma, a junior champion born with a congenital absence of his left hand, could be seen smiling while soaking up expert advice from Popert on the stand.
“It was amazing to meet Andreas. He said he was nervous, but I thought he handled it very well,” said Popert, a two-time defending US Adaptive Open champion who is coming off an impressive season on tour.
“Knowing that kids with disabilities who are going through tough times and surgeries could dream of becoming the next number one disabled golfer in the world, or be able to achieve something they want in their lives – how cool is that?
Share links with former US Open winner Justin Rose and South Korean superstar Tom Kim would be monumental – even intimidating – for many. For Popert, this is simply normal.
The fact that he had no role model as a disabled golfer to aspire to growing up, nor a proven path to becoming a professional, meant he had to create them himself – “like I have done all my life”.
“Playing against these boys doesn’t bother me at all – it’s no disrespect to them, they’re incredible athletes,” Popert said.
“But I know what I can achieve. I want to be (competing) in the last group of three holes.
“Once I finally lift one of those big trophies in able-bodied golf – and accomplish more in disabled sport – my mission will be to let Andreas and others know that they are going to have a career. That there are plenty of trophies to aim for when they turn professional.
“The prize money is coming, I’ll make sure of it.” Sometimes you have to force people to understand that this is unfortunately how society works.”
“Continuing”
Popert was diagnosed with spastic diplegia as a child, a form of cerebral palsy affecting the lower extremities of the body. He required careful physiotherapy throughout his formative years and underwent 11 operations during his teenage years.
His parents, Richard and Lindsey, are doctors and have been extremely supportive throughout his treatment and athletic pursuits.
“He was born 10 weeks premature – he was just adjusting to my hand,” recalls Richard.
“We didn’t realize there was anything particularly serious at the time, but he had a birth injury – bleeding, probably – when he was about four weeks old. It really wasn’t until he started walking that we noticed he was a little slow walking.
“But he always got up again and again and he had fantastic hand-eye coordination.”
Popert was introduced to golf after his father bought him a pair of light-up clubs and showed him video tapes of the legendary American golfer Bobby Jones.
He would drop off and pick up Popert at the local golf club before and after shifts, which meant the aspiring golfer practiced up to 15 hours a day, obsessively trying to lower his handicap and sharpen his positive state of mind.
“He just had this ability to keep going,” Richard said.
“Even when he had these surgeries and Botox injections and splints, he never stopped. That was his belief. No one believes in Kipp more than himself.
Popert added: “As my father and grandfather said, it continues.” All this time people have been telling me it was probably a stupid choice. But the more people said it, the more I thought, “You’ll see.” And I’m not done yet.
“Seeing is believing”
Despite being the best disabled player on the planet and continuing to break barriers in the able-bodied field, Popert is still technically an amateur.
There is not yet a financially viable way to play professionally: many events do not provide scholarships for disabled players, while the amateur circuit offers many more playing opportunities.
“I never had a situation with Tiger Woods or Tom Kim where you got to 14, 15 and you were like, ‘Here’s the journey, here’s the funding.’ Crush this, crush that, and you’ll be there,’” Popert explained.
“I did everything myself. All I needed was a chance. That’s how I’m wired.
Ireland’s Brendan Lawlor, former world number one and current number two, led the way as the first disabled golfer to turn professional in 2019 and the first disabled golfer to compete on the European Tour. In what is a promising start, Lawlor helped establish the first invitational money event for disabled golfers two years ago.
Popert believes that providing more incentives for disabled golfers to train full-time – “like we do in able-bodied men’s and women’s sport” – would naturally trickle down to national teams, junior and local levels, and create more visible models to aspire to.
“The concept of ‘seeing is believing’ is interesting,” he said. “That’s true, but if you can’t see something with your eyes, you can see it in your mind.
“I never got to watch any of the (able-bodied golfers) because they were so much further along than I was at 16.” What I learned is that everyone who is overly successful in sports – Kobe Bryant, Tiger Wood, Michael Jordan – all comment that they weren’t the best when they started. It gave me a lot of confidence, and it hurts when I see so many children discouraged by a few failures.
“I really want to be like Kipp”
While Popert has already become a success story for young golfers around the world, he draws most of his inspiration from his late cousin, Archie Bruce, a promising rugby league player. died at the age of 20 in 2019.
“Perseverance has gotten me to this point – through millions of difficult days – and it’s what will take me further.” It got me through the hardest times of my life when my cousin passed away,” said an emotional Popert, pointing to the back of his cap, which has Bruce’s name and jersey number sewn into it. .
“A lot of people told him he couldn’t accomplish things, so we used to send each other motivational messages. When you have the support of your family, it doesn’t really matter what people say or think. It is a privilege to represent him and my family.
“It wasn’t what I set out to do, but if I’m based on a selfish act of getting really good at golf, I can provide opportunities for future players and change a lot of lives – what an opportunity.”
Ma, the young golfer from Hong Kong who spent precious one-on-one time with Popert, said: “When I grow up, I really want to be like Kipp. I want to be world number 1.
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