When Walter van der Rijst reflects on his second straight B.C. All Abilities Championship, he won’t just be thinking about some of the fine shots he struck or the five birdies he made over two days at Fraserview Golf Course.
The 67-year-old will also remember the people he played with, all of whom overcome challenges to play the game they love. Van der Rijst had to pause and fight back tears as he described what this event has meant to him...
“It’s really quite special because of all these people and they are all so awesome.” he said. “They are really nice to hang around with, they are so supportive, they are so passionate about the game and everything. It’s really nice to be with these guys. The camaraderie is really wonderful.”
Van der Rijst, who plays out of Gorge Vale Golf Club in Victoria, fired rounds of 76 and 74 and his six-over total beat the field by five shots. His victory came after what he called a shaky start to the event.
Van der Rijst had two double-bogeys in his first five holes in the first round and credited an adjustment to his grip with helping him steady his game. “After the front yesterday starting with two doubles in the first five holes, I was thinking what the heck is going on,” he said. “Something tweaked in my head and I went, wait a second, your grip is off. My focus for the 27 holes after that was really good.”
His driving was not as good as he would have liked, but van der Rijst’s iron play was on point and he putted well. “My drives were terrible for most of the event. I could count the number of good drives on one hand, but I was lucky that the ball rolled out well and I had short shots into the greens. I hit some good irons. I think I made five birdies over the two days, so that was good.”
Two of those birdies came on the par 3 13th hole, where van der Rijst knocked it to within eight feet the first day and three feet in the final round.
Van der Rijst plays with a debilitating right foot issue and walks with a pronounced limp. He has had two surgeries and had screws inserted to help provide some stability and is awaiting a third surgery.
Image credit: Brad Ziemer/BC Golf
Runner-up Spencer Easthope
Like all of the competitors this week, he rides in a power cart. “My stability is so poor,” he said. “If I wasn’t wearing shoes, I’d be falling down. I am basically walking on the outside of my foot. I have huge callous on that side.”
Van der Rijst said he is inspired by his fellow competitors, many of whom face bigger challenges than he does. “I am fortunate to be able to play golf and to be with these guys is absolutely wonderful,” he said.
Spencer Easthope of Okotoks, Alta., finished second overall at 11-over par after closing with a four-over 76. Easthope, who has a neurological issue that severely affects his balance and his ability to walk, was even-par on the back nine of his final round.
“I hit the ball well, the driver was working perfectly with the fade every time, I put the ball on the green and my putting wasn’t terrific, but it was there when I needed it on all of my short ones,” said Easthope, a 43-year-old corrosion engineer with Trans Mountain Pipelines.
Easthope, who finished first among players who have qualified for world ranking points, has been playing competitive adaptive golf for three years. Like van der Rijst, he cherishes the relationships he has forged during tournaments.
“It just gets better and better,” he said. “You get to meet new people every time and there’s a real camaraderie. You get to to see them a few times a year and for people like us, we don’t get many opportunities like this to really showcase ourselves.”
Click here for complete final scoring.
CHIP SHOTS: Craig Dowling of Vancouver was third overall at 16-over. . .The Canadian All Abilities Championship will be played Aug. 5-7 at The Dunes in Kamloops.