Making Golf More Inclusive

Seth King is advocating for people with disabilities and changing the course of the game.

For Seth King, attending the 2023 John Deere Classic and touring a John Deere factory combined two of his greatest joys—agriculture and golf.

It also provided the silver-award winning Special Olympian golfer a platform to highlight how the sport is becoming more inclusive by developing adaptive tournaments for those with disabilities.

"The rules have been adapted for people who have disabilities, not just mental or physical disabilities," he explained. "A good example is for the blind. They get an aid that can help them aim and find the ball and just help guide them around the course and no penalty comes with that."

Seth, an athlete with high-functioning autism, first started golfing when he was quite young. One of his fondest memories is swinging a golf club while helping his family harvest corn, wheat, and soybeans at their farm in Fishers, Indiana.

In high school, Seth's passion for the game grew. He competed in the Special Olympics and broke new ground being an athlete with high-functioning autism. He won two silver medals at state competitions and holds a World Ranking for Golfers with Disabilities which allows him to play in most disability and adaptive tournaments worldwide. He is only the second athlete to receive worldwide eligibility.

Seth is now a sophomore at Purdue University and majors in ag engineering. He chose the subject because he enjoys farming but also loves math and technology. Seth explained, "I want to be part of the technology increase and getting faster with, you know, new autonomous [equipment]." ‡