Colorado Springs, Colo. Trick-shot artist Dennis Walters and his dog Benji Hogan will give an exhibition on Wednesday, June 27 at 1 p.m. on the driving range of Pine Needles Lodge & Golf Club in Southern Pines, N.C., as part of the Catch the Spirit program at the 2007 U.S. Womens Open.
Golf has been the center of Walters life since he was first introduced to the game at the age of eight. He played throughout high school and won the New Jersey Junior Championship before competing at the collegiate level. In 1971, Walters finished 11th at the U.S. Amateur Championship. Three years later, an accident on a golf course left Walters paralyzed from the waist down.
When faced with such a challenge, many would have abandoned their dream of pursuing golf as a career, but Walters embraced it. During his rehabilitation, Walters adapted a swivel chair onto a golf cart, allowing him to play from a seated position. This discovery has enabled Walters to use the game of golf to promote his message that nothing is impossible. Since 1977, Walters has been spreading his passion for the game with his traveling trick-shot show and wonder dog, Benji. This year alone, Walters will perform more than 100 shows throughout the country at PGA and USGA Championship events.
Catch the Spirit began in 1991 as an effort to attract more youth and families to the game of golf and to USGA Championships. The goal of the program is to provide exposure to the game its rich history, heroes, and lessons to a new generation of golfers. This is the 17th consecutive year this juniors program has been part of the U.S. Womens Open. Catch the Spirit and Dennis Walters are part of the USGAs ongoing commitment to support initiatives that make the game of golf more affordable and accessible for individuals with disabilities. For more information about golf for individuals with disabilities, please visit the USGA Resource Center at www.resourcecenter.usga.org. For more information about Dennis Walters, please visit his Web site at www.denniswalters.com.
As a part of Catch the Spirit, kids ages 17 and under receive complimentary admission to the U.S. Womens Open when accompanied by a ticketed adult. Juniors are encouraged to stop by the Catch the Spirit Junior Tent where they will receive a lunch voucher, golf cap, rules publications, and other giveaway items. Other activities during the week include the Patty Berg Swing Parade on Tuesday, June 26 at 1 p.m., practicing on a juniors-only putting course, an Inside the Ropes Course Tour of Pine Needles Lodge & Golf Club, and a scavenger hunt, focusing on educational aspects of the game.
The times for daily activities at the Catch the Spirit Junior Tent and practice putting green are: Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Thursday and Friday from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.; and Saturday and Sunday from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.
For more information about Catch the Spirit, contact Amanda Wilson at the USGA Grants and Fellowship office at (719) 471-4810, ext. 22. For tickets and more information about the 2007 U.S. Womens Open Championship, visit the Web site at www.2007uswomensopen.com.
Contact:
Beth Murrison (bmurrison@usga.org)
Web address: www.usga.org
USGA phone: (908) 234-2300
