U.S. ADAPTIVE OPEN

July 17, 2022

Grace Anne Braxton

Pinehurst Resort & C.C. (Course No. 6)

Quick Quotes

THE MODERATOR: We are here with Grace Ann Braxton. Talk about what it means to be here this week.

GRACE ANNE BRAXTON: I like being here this week. It's really kind of cool that they've got this disability -- this Adaptive Open to show people it doesn't matter what kind of disability you have, as long as you can play golf together and make everything kind of well.

Q. Why did you start playing golf? How did you start playing golf?

GRACE ANNE BRAXTON: Well, I started playing golf after high school, which was about -- I was 18 years old, even 19, and my dad took me out to the range, and I started there. I just wanted to learn how to play the game of golf because I love watching golf on TV and I love going to golf tournaments and stuff like that, so that's how I learned how to play. That's how I learned how to play the game.

Q. When did you start competing in tournaments?

GRACE ANNE BRAXTON: Maybe 19 -- I can't remember right now.

Q. Like a long time ago?

GRACE ANNE BRAXTON: A long time ago.

Q. Why do you like competing?

GRACE ANNE BRAXTON: Because it's just something I like to do. I think it was maybe 1995 or '96.

Q. So over 20 years ago?

GRACE ANNE BRAXTON: Yeah, I went to the world games in 2007, got gold; got gold in 2011 in Greece, silver in Abu Dhabi.

Q. When you get those medals, how does it make you feel?

GRACE ANNE BRAXTON: Very happy. I'm very happy about it.

Q. Do you practice golf a lot?

GRACE ANNE BRAXTON: Yeah, I do. I practice my short game and my long game a lot.

Q. When you came this week and you saw all the signs and the logos, obviously this event feels big. What did that feel like?

GRACE ANNE BRAXTON: It feels like a really big tournament that they're doing, and they can showcase people that have missing arm, missing leg, anything. It doesn't really matter.

Q. When you see people competing who have different disabilities, what do you learn from them? Are you inspired by them, too?

GRACE ANNE BRAXTON: Yeah, I am. I'm inspired how well they can hit the golf ball and inspired by how well they can play. Like my friend Judy bush who I met a couple years ago, she's a really good golfer, and Gianna Rios is another good golfer, so they can really play, too, so it's interesting how people can play.

Q. Tell us about who your caddie is and what you like doing with him on the course.

GRACE ANNE BRAXTON: My caddie is my brother Bill, and he's a great person. He's really well. I've had him for a while. I've fired my dad a couple times, but I've had about three or four caddies, and I've done -- he and I get along pretty well.

Q. Just talk about the adaptive golf community. When you come here, you see people you know, what is that community like for people who don't know it?

GRACE ANNE BRAXTON: It's really fun. It's interesting, enjoyable, and I like it a lot. It makes me feel really happy inside, and I'm just excited about it.