Staff WriterIf you needed proof the USDGA isn’t a side show but a serious championship with serious momentum, here it is in black and white: the 2026 PING USDGA Championship is returning to PGA Golf Club in Port St. Lucie, Florida, for the fourth consecutive year, with competition set for April 26-29 on the Tom Fazio-designed Ryder Course. Same stage, same standards, and—crucially—an even louder vote of confidence from golf’s establishment.
That confidence comes with a label attached. As part of the partnership, the PGA of America will serve as the presenting sponsor of both the 2026 and 2027 editions of the adaptive golf championship. In a sport that can sometimes take a while to commit to anything that isn’t already wrapped in tartan and tradition, a two-year presenting sponsorship tells you this is not a polite cameo. It’s a long-term relationship.
“The PGA of America is thrilled to continue as the presenting sponsor of both the 2026 and 2027 USDGA Championships,” said PGA of America President and Master Professional Don Rea Jr. “Partnering with the United States Disabled Golf Association is a clear example of our mutual dedication to making golf a truly accessible and welcoming sport for everyone. I am excited to see the inspiring talent and remarkable stories that the Championship will showcase at PGA Golf Club.”
The USDGA Championship itself is built like a proper test, not a ceremonial lap. The field will feature 90 players competing in a 54-hole, three-round stroke play event across several divisions—meaning you have to bring more than one good day, and you certainly can’t hide behind a hot nine and a pleasant handshake. Registration for the USDGA Championship is now open and will run through Feb. 3, with eligibility requiring a handicap index of 36.4 or lower and a WR4GD pass in order to register.
At its core, the USDGA’s mission is straightforward and, frankly, overdue: provide people with physical, sensory and intellectual disabilities an opportunity to showcase their abilities in a golf championship at a high level. The point is competition. The rest—visibility, inspiration, progress—is what naturally follows when sport is treated seriously.
Tournament Director John Bell leaned into that competitive heartbeat while welcoming the venue return and the continued backing from the PGA of America.
“We are honored to renew our partnership with the PGA of America and bring the USDGA Championship back to PGA Golf Club,” said John Bell, Tournament Director. “Their continued support helps us provide a world-class adaptive golf experience and affirms our shared commitment to making golf inclusive and competitive for all.”
And competitive is not a marketing word here—it’s the scoreboard talking. In 2025, Chad Pfeifer took the Men’s Division for the third consecutive year and fourth in the last five, winning by two shots at 1-over 214. Ryanne Jackson defended her title in the Women’s Division with a final-round 76, pulling away to win by seven shots at 21-over. Eli Villanueva shot an 8-under 63 in the final round to win the Senior Division by 14 shots, giving him his second title in three years. If you’re looking for a storyline heading into 2026, start with this: dynasties don’t form in soft fields.
The USDGA Championship isn’t new, either—just increasingly impossible to ignore. The inaugural USDGA Championship was held in 2018 at Eagle Creek Golf Club in Orlando, Florida, with 48 golfers from eight countries participating. From those beginnings, it has grown into an event that now returns to the same high-profile venue for a fourth straight year, with a larger field and a clearer pathway to entry.
As for the venue, PGA Golf Club has no shortage of credentials—or distractions, if you’re the sort of golfer who gets starry-eyed at memorabilia and museum pieces. Known as “The Ultimate Golf Experience,” PGA Golf Club is owned and operated by the PGA of America. The facility features 54 holes of championship golf designed by legends Tom Fazio and Pete Dye. PGA Golf Club also features the best in golf instruction taught by PGA of America Golf Professionals and the PGA Gallery, with memorabilia exhibits that trace the history of the game, all within one spectacular golf destination.
But for four days in late April, all roads lead to the Ryder Course—designed by Tom Fazio and named in honor of Samuel Ryder, the namesake and founder of the Ryder Cup. With its majestic pine trees and challenging water hazards, the Ryder Course has a distinctive Carolina-feel. Translation: it asks proper questions, and it does it repeatedly. That’s the sort of canvas the USDGA Championship deserves—somewhere you earn it, rather than borrow it.
So, pencil in April 26-29, note the Feb. 3 registration deadline, and understand what’s happening here: the USDGA is building continuity, credibility, and competitive identity in one place, with the PGA of America publicly backing it for the next two years. That’s not just good news for adaptive golf. It’s good news for golf.
For more information, please visit usdgagolf.org
