U.S. Army veteran Chad Pfeifer is the first person with an amputation to play in an event sanctioned by the Professional Golfers’ Association (PGA) Tour. Pfeifer, 33, who has a left transfemoral amputation caused by an improvised explosive device (IED) during his service in Iraq, was awarded one of the few amateur spots at the event, and played at the Humana Challenge at PGA West, La Quinta, California, held January 22-25.
Pfeifer can drive the ball about 280 yards and is a scratch player, which means his average score for a round of golf is par or better. “This week I’m on the amateur side, but it’s the next best thing to playing on the PGA Tour,” Pfeifer told The Desert Sun. “I’ve been blessed with some great opportunities.”