29-year-old D.J. Gregory has been to all 44 PGA Tour events this year and has walked 72 holes each week. What makes this that much more impressive is that Gregory suffers from cerebral palsy.
Steve Elling of CBSSports.com files this report about how the idea blossomed:
Gregory is a hopeless golf addict to the point that despite his malady, he plays the game one-handed. Before he hatched the plan, he was attending a half-dozen events per year as a paying customer. Last year, tour standout Aaron Baddeley agreed to let Gregory shadow him for the week at nearby Bay Hill, and Gregory, who has a degree in sports management, took copious notes about his experiences.
A few weeks later, he was introduced to CBS Sports broadcaster Jim Nantz, who read Gregory's writings and discussed whether it would work over the arc of an entire season. Nantz was so impressed by what he saw, he suggested Gregory discuss the idea with commissioner Tim Finchem.
Yeah, right, Gregory said. Then Nantz offered to hand-deliver a proposal in which Gregory would cover every inch of terrain for an entire year. The tour, after a trial run last year, agreed to make it happen. The tour and a handful of key sponsors including Southwest Airlines and Accusplit pedometers have helped him defray travel expenses.
I ran into Gregory at the second round of the AT&T National as he was following the same group I was--Stuart Appleby, Brandt Snedeker and Arron Oberholser. Despite some steep hills, Gregory kept up with the group. Gregory's perseverance and love for the game of golf is truly inspiring.
