High school golfer with Down syndrome pars iconic PGA Tour hole, and people are loving it
During a practice round at the PGA Tour’s Waste Management Phoenix Open, defending champion Gary Woodland invited Special Olympian Amy Bockerstette to play the iconic 16th hole with him. And play it she did.
The video, posted by the PGA Tour and viewed millions of times on social media, has gotten an intensely positive response. Many of those reactions are people getting emotional over the clip. And with Bockerstette’s impressive golf skills combined with a positive attitude, fueled by phrases like “I got this” and “you can do this,” it’s easy to see why.
I’m a 55 year old man crying my eyes out.
— Jonathan Bostetter (@JStetters) January 30, 2019
I’ve noticed it’s really hard to type, when my heart burst all over my keyboard. At least I had plenty of “happy tears” to clean it up
— John Bolger (@Bolgernow) January 30, 2019
Awesome. This is how easy and simple it is to take a little time to do something great for others!! Well@done Gary!!
— Woody Austin (@crap7luck) January 30, 2019
Man, I love this sport. This is so awesome.
— Colin Mieczkowski (@GhostPandaColin) January 30, 2019
There are not enough hearts to show the love for this wonderful moment. Thank you for sharing! Go Amy!!!
— Derrick Brent (@dekebrent) January 30, 2019
I actually fist pumped the air when she holed that putt
— Martin (@MartinOBrien4) January 30, 2019
The 16th hole at TPC Scottsdale Stadium Course is a par 3 known for its wild crowds and stadium-like atmosphere during tournament time, and it was definitely the perfect backdrop for Bockerstette as fans yelled for her the whole time, much to her delight. She took a few moments to stop and look around and take it all in throughout the video.
And on the same hole where Tiger Woods once made a hole-in-one early in his career, Bockerstette had a chance to do something very memorable by making a tough par. Which she, of course, did, earning her a big roar from the crowd.
“It was awesome to meet you,” Woodland told her after the hole. “You’re an inspiration to us, all right, you’re our hero.”
Last year, Bockerstette became the first person with Down syndrome to receive a college athletics scholarship when she signed with Paradise Valley Community College, the Arizona Republic reported.
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