Disabled man on a quest to walk every PGA Tour hole

Font Size:

By Kurt Allemeier | Friday, July 11, 2008 |

D.J. Gregory makes his way across the 18th fairway on Friday while following golfer Peter Lonard, during the second round of the John Deere Classic in Silvis, Ill. Gregory has cerebral palsy and is trying to walk every competitive round of this year's PGA Tour season. (Kevin E. Schmidt/Quad-City Times) Buy this Photo

VIDEO: Carter, Annan, Others Refused Entry to Zimbabwe
For the first time, former President Jimmy Carter has been denied entry int…
Watch Video

Related Media

SILVIS, Ill. — D.J. Gregory’s left hand started to sting more than nine holes after he started walking the TPC at Deere Run Friday.

That hand helps him grip the cane he uses to keep his balance. The Savannah, Ga., man with cerebral palsy is trying to walk every competitive round of the PGA Tour season.

The cane failed Gregory for one step on the fifth hole of the first round of the John Deere Classic. He fell, scraping the hand. Perspiration makes it sting, so he stopped Friday to blow on it.

Gregory, 30, was born 10 weeks premature, with the cerebral palsy brought on by complications from the birth. He shrugs when asked about the disease, admitting he doesn’t know much about it. He says he is mildly affected, with poor balance, making him rely on the cane.

“I don’t consider myself a handicapped person,” he said. “I have a disability, but it is a way of life.

“Sure, I do things a little slower, but my family and friends don’t treat me any differently. The last thing I want is for people to feel sorry for me.”

Mark Twain called golf “a good walk spoiled,” while Gregory calls what he does “a long walk.” He averages five to seven miles a day and wears a pedometer to record the number of steps. At the start of the day Friday, following Peter Lonard and his group of Bubba Watson and Steve Allan, Gregory got a head start.

“It is a long hole,” he told his cousin, Phil Boyer. “We better start the trek.”

He started off with his labored gait down the 10th-hole cart path, the “thrunk” of his metal cane distinct in the morning air. Boyer, who Gregory jokes is his caddie, carries drinks, a camera and offers extra support on steep hills or uneven surfaces. Gregory’s father, Don, has accompanied him at 13 tournaments. His mother, Jackie, has been to five tournaments, while his sister, Ann, has been to one. Boyer, along with college friends and roommates, has filled in the rest of the dates.

Gregory has access inside the ropes where spectators normally aren’t allowed, but he prefers to stay on the cart path since it offers a firm walking surface. He did walk inside the ropes when he followed good friend Aaron Baddeley at the World Golf Championships-Accenture Match Play Championship. Baddeley played Tiger Woods in the third round, and a large gallery followed the pair, requiring Gregory to walk along inside the ropes.

Gregory submitted a proposal for his year-long quest to the PGA Tour. A self-described golf fanatic, he follows a PGA Tour professional at each tournament, interviewing the golfer before the first round. He posts on a blog he writes for pgatour.com and plans to write a book about his experiences. The blog has a link to donate to United Cerebral Palsy.

“It is a lifelong dream but also a personal challenge,” he said. “I knew I could do it.”

He interviewed Lonard and Sean O’Hair Wednesday. He followed Lonard for the first two rounds of the JDC. He will follow O’Hair next week at the British Open. He has a standard list of 15 questions he asks golfers about their game and playing on the tour. The five to 10 other questions require research. He and O’Hair chatted about cars during their interview.

“I found out last week that Rich Beem loves the mall,” he said. “He’ll go shopping all the time.”

On the course, Gregory said it is better to follow twosomes, like he does on the weekend, rather than threesomes on Thursday and Friday. Twosomes play faster and he prefers to keep moving, saying he gets more tired by standing and waiting. Lonard didn’t make the JDC cut after shooting a 77 Friday, so Gregory has been re-assigned to another golfer.

A golfer himself, Gregory plays one-handed and has a 36 handicap, scoring about 105 to 115 a round. The last time he played was in April.

A couple of times Friday, Gregory caught himself when he stumbled. He has fallen 20 times and the JDC is the 28th stop on the PGA Tour. He also records sports drinks and bottles of water drank along with steps, miles and falls.

He is willing to laugh at himself and his tribulations. As he walked along the fifth hole Friday, he referred to it as the “scene of the crime.”

“Most times I fall just because I’m stupid,” he said. “It is my fault.”

People stop him to say hello. Gregory estimates about one person per hole recognizes him. As he and Boyer walked around the course, they chatted occasionally with Angie Watson, Bubba Watson’s wife. She joked with him about his media popularity.

“You have more stories written about you this year than any single golfer,” she said. “Tiger doesn’t count.”

After touring the lengthy back nine, Gregory and Boyer started the compact but hilly front nine. The third hole and the sixth holes with steep uphill climbs were challenging on the first round. They took a path through the rough on the steep third hole Thursday, a mistake they wouldn’t make on Friday.

“The cart path goes way around, but we’ll take the cart path today,” Boyer said. He decided on the path through the rough Thursday.

“His caddie bonus went down on that hole,” Gregory said with a laugh.

Kurt Allemeier can be contacted at (563) 383-2360 or kallemeier@qctimes.com.

Read D.J. Gregory's blog here: www.pgatour.com/2008/r/dj.blog/