With third-place showing, Eaton’s Justin Carlock matches best men’s overall finish ever by American at U.S. Adaptive Open
By Gary Baines
Justin Carlock of Eaton fell victim to history — and some stellar final rounds by former champions — on Wednesday.
Otherwise, the PGA assistant professional at Eaton Country Club might have been in the mix for a USGA national title.
Carlock, the 2025 Colorado Assistant PGA Professional Champion, was competing in the U.S. Adaptive Open for the first time. And he didn’t just tee it up in the event; he shared the men’s overall lead after round 1 and held second — three out of the top spot — going into Wednesday’s final round in Rockville, Md.
But Kipp Popert of England was simply too good — and in the process he made some very notable history. Never before in the 131-year history of the association had a player won the same USGA championship four consecutive years — until Wednesday.
Popert made it four straight U.S. Adaptive Open titles — in the fifth USAO overall — in runaway fashion. He put on a stellar putting display en route to standing 8 under par for the day through 12 holes and closing with a 9-under 63. Runner-up Simon Lee of South Korea, the 2022 champ, was nearly as good, posting a 65.
Meanwhile, Carlock made a little history of his own on Wednesday. By tying for third place, he matched the best finish ever by an American in the men’s overall division of the U.S. Adaptive Open, which debuted in 2022. Chad Pfeifer of Caldwell, Idaho placed third in 2022, and Max Togisala of Ogden, Utah tied Carlock for third on Wednesday.
Carlock — who has lived his entire life with a condition that caused his fingers and hands to fuse differently; he’s undergone more than 10 surgeries — posted the best overall showing ever by a Coloradan in the U.S. Adaptive Open.
“I’m really greedy. I want to win so bad,” Carlock said Wednesday. “But overall, this is my first time in the adaptive tournament space, so I’m very happy. It’s definitely a win for me and the family coming out here this week.
“This will be very tough to beat going forward. It’s just been incredible.”
The 31-year-old who played some college golf at Northeastern Junior College in Sterling also won his division on Wednesday, finishing first among the 11 male golfers with upper-limb impairments.
“It’s absolutely so special for all of us to be here,” Carlock said earlier this week. “My caddie and best friend, Brock, and I found out about this a few years ago when it was at Sand Creek Station in Kansas. I had played a big college tournament there and thought, ‘How cool is that?’
“I wondered if I could get (my disability) certified (a requirement to compete in the U.S. Adaptive) — and didn’t really do it. This last fall, Brock told me I needed to get in gear. I ended up getting certified and qualified, and here we are.”
Carlock carded scores of 68-70-69 for a 9-under-par total, ending up nine strokes behind Popert and three behind Lee, who was runner-up for the fourth consecutive year. The highlight of Carlock’s final round was a pitch-in for eagle from about 35 yards on the 472-yard, par-5 third hole.
Meanwhile, another Coloradan, Mario Dino of Denver, competed in the U.S. Adaptive Open for the fifth straight year — and had his best men’s overall finish, tying for 15th (71-74-75).
Kim Moore of Fort Wayne, Ind., prevailed in the women’s overall for the third time, ending up at 12 over par for three days, good for a six-stroke victory.
The final round of the U.S. Adaptive Open received three hours of live TV coverage on Wednesday.
For all the scores from the event, CLICK HERE.
About the Writer: Gary Baines has covered golf in Colorado continuously since 1983. He was a sports writer at the Daily Camera newspaper in Boulder, then the sports editor there, and has written regularly for ColoradoGolf.org since 2009. The University of Colorado Evans Scholar alum was inducted into the Colorado Golf Hall of Fame in 2022. He owns and operates ColoradoGolfJournal.com