Jeremy Bittner says he is “ready for the adventure” as he prepares to make his G4D Tour debut in Abu Dhabi next week following an exceptional rise up the world rankings in 2022.
The American will take his place in a ten-person field at the G4D Tour @ Hero Cup, the second event of the 2023 G4D season, after rising from 170th in the World Ranking for Golfers with Disability (WR4GD) to 11th last year.
During that time, Bittner registered three top five finishes in key national G4D championships along with the first ever hole-in-one in the US Adaptive Open at Pinehurst Number 6.
He will now tee it up at Abu Dhabi Golf Club from January 13-14 and is excited by the opportunities his form has opened for him.
“I first heard of the G4D Tour last year,” he said.
“I thought it would be a good goal to try to play in an event someday, but I never thought I’d climb the World Ranking so far within a year and be invited to play in Abu Dhabi alongside some of the biggest names in both professional and adaptive golf, which is incredibly exciting and an honour.
“I have never travelled outside of North America before but I am ready for the adventure and I am really looking forward to new experiences on and off the course.”
Bittner, who lost his lower left leg in a lawnmower accident when he was four years old, was introduced to golf by his father and by his early teens joined the high school golf team.
Despite his experience of competing among the world’s best golfers with a disability, the 34-year-old, who also plays basketball in the off-season, admits a shift in mindset has played a key role in his success.
“Learning to play tournament style golf has been a process,” he said.
“I'm sure every golfer has to learn to deal with it in their own way. On the first tee there is such a desire to play well and eliminate mistakes that it can inhibit your game plan.
“I have really tried to focus on having fun and embracing the moments at tournaments.
“Bogeys and missed putts are going to happen but adapting my mindset – to trust that if you play your game the score will be there at the end – seems to have really helped me.”
Confirmed field for G4D Tour @ Hero Cup
Name Country WR4GD (Gross Ranking Week 52)
- Brendan Lawlor (Republic of Ireland) #2
- Juan Postigo (Spain) #4
- Kurtis Barkley (Canada) #5
- Tommaso Perrino (Italy) #7
- Mike Browne (England) #8
- Bradley Smith (England) #9
- Jeremy Bittner (United States) #11
- Conor Stone (Republic of Ireland) #12
- David Watts (South Africa) #14
- Geoff Nicholas (Australia) #16
