Visually impaired Kaneohe golfer wins at US Adaptive Open

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – A golfer from Kaneohe captured a major win at the U.S. Adaptive Open Championship.

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Amanda Cunha, 22, won the blind and visually impaired women’s division during the July 6–8 tournament at Woodmont Country Club in Rockville, Maryland.

Cunha feels most at home out on the course with her dad. “He is my guide on the golf course. He is my eyes,” she said.

Cunha started losing her vision at 17. She was diagnosed with Leber Hereditary Optic Neuropathy, a rare disorder that results in the loss of central vision.

“How I would describe my vision to a lot of people is that it looks like an oil spill mixed with TV static,” said Cunha.

Despite being declared legally blind, Cunha never put down the clubs. She played on the state’s junior golf circuit, then an unexpected opportunity came along to compete collegiately at the University of Arizona.

“I was playing adaptive golf just with my dad at Mid-Pac Country Club without even knowing that adaptive golf was its own community, so finding out I could go to college for adaptive golf and play on a team, I didn’t think that would be the case when I first started to lose my vision,” said Cunha.

This year marked the Le Jardin alum’s fifth appearance in the U.S. Adaptive Open Tournament.

She had a stellar performance shooting 77 in the final round to win the blind and visually impaired women’s category.

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“I’m really happy that I’ve taken those steps to want to be that role model for maybe a little kid with a disability who might not know that it’s a possibility,” said Cunha.

The United States Golf Association started the U.S. Adaptive Open to showcase the world’s best golfers with disabilities.

Its creation followed the implementation of Golf Rule 25, which modifies the game while ensuring play remains at a competitive level.

“Rule 25 gives everyone the opportunity to play the game, no matter what your disability is or what you shoot. Golf is such an amazing sport because it accommodates pretty much everyone,” said Cunha.

While out on the course, Cunha doesn’t like to know her score. She feels that makes her play even better.

“It’s great because I can’t read it, so it doesn’t get in my head and the fact that I’m just able to focus and be in the game is really good for my golf game,” said Cunha.

The recent college graduate will now dive into advocacy work for golfers with disabilities.

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