de Garavilla, Sengul victorious in 2nd GAP Adaptive
TELFORD, Pa. – The 2nd GAP Adaptive Championship forged two champions each with a historical significance.
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David de Garavilla, a member of host Indian Valley Country Club, captured the Men’s Overall (par 72, 6,281 yards) title with a 9-over-par, two-round total. He outlasted Round 1 leader Jarrett Fultz of Buena Vista, Va., who finished 12 over.
Cassie Sengul of Manassas, Va. defended her GAP Adaptive Women’s Overall (par 72, 4,950 yards) title after finishing with a 23-over-par total. She finished 12 shots clear of Nancy Lee of New York, N.Y.
“For this to be my first big win, [and] for it to be here after playing Adaptive Golf for probably 10, 12 years is just really cool,” de Garavilla, 42, of Telford, Pa., said. “As much as I’m proud of winning the tournament, I’m proud of my club [for] welcoming this tournament here.”
“It’s really special to defend my first adaptive win,” Sengul, 19, said. “I had a tough year in golf, so just being able to win this event again is really special for me.”
The GAP Adaptive Championship is a 36-hole stroke-play event spread across two days. The championship is a WR4GD points-eligible event. In addition to the overall champions, GAP crowned winners in 17 disability classifications.
Men’s:
(Above Knee: G1) Fred Heller, Schnecksville, Pa.; (Below Knee: G2) David de Garavilla, Telford, Pa.; (Multiple Limb: G3, G6, G7) Brandon Canesi, Northfield, N.J.; (Arm Unassisted: G4) Steven Shipuleski, Plainfield, Conn.; (Arm Assisted: G5) Jason Hasty, Chester, Va.; (Neurological: G8) Jarrett Fultz, Buena Vista, Va.; (Seated: G9) Jimmy Moceri, Rochester Hills, Mich; (Seated: G10) Michael Tallman, Fair Haven, N.J.; (Visual: G11, G12, G13) Tyler Cashman, Oldwick, N.J.; (Short Stature: G14) Albert “Chaz” Bowker, Buellton, Calif.; (Intellectual: G15) Matthew Snowdon, Annapolis, Md.
Women’s:
(Above Knee: G1) Kelsey Koch, Grand Blanc, Mich; (Below Knee: G2) Nancy Lee, New York, N.Y.; (Arm Unassisted: G4) Kellie Valentine, McKean, Pa.; (Arm Assisted: G5) Sophia Howard, Hudsonville, Mich.; (Neurological: G8) Cassie Sengul, Manassas, Va.; (Intellectual: G15) Tessa Trojan, St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada
The Men’s Overall Champion began the day a shot back of Fultz, who carded an opening-round 73. Steady golf Tuesday manifested in a handful of pars. de Garavilla carded a 79 in the Final Round. His shot of the day came on No. 2 (par 4, 419 yards). After escaping a precarious lie with a 7-iron and missing the green short right, de Garavilla chipped in from 15 yards with a 60-degree wedge. The sporty maneuver put de Garavilla in the proverbial driver’s seat, a position that he never relinquished.
A gallery of members and friends applauded. The crowd grew by the dozen throughout the day.
“I played much better yesterday. Jarrett played better yesterday. I just wanted to do something similar to what I did yesterday, and I came short of that,” de Garavilla said. “Just trying to land the plane.”
de Garavilla, a single-leg amputee who plays in the G2: Below Knee impairment category, lost his leg following an injury in a high school football game when he was 15 years old. He tried keeping his football dreams alive, but ultimately pivoted to wrestling. de Garavilla pursued his talents collegiately and wrestled for four years at Johns Hopkins University.
“It was a great decision. Good education, and still got to compete,” de Garavilla, a Downingtown High School alumni, said. “Being in wrestling and competitive environments my whole life, when you graduate and you go to the workforce there’s something missing.”
Golf filled the void in the half decade following college graduation in 2005.
“I like golf because it’s the best combination between the Brysons of the world with the data, and then you have other people that are artists,” de Garavilla said. “I feel like I can express myself artistically through the game of golf while also being a very analytical person at the same time.”
Sengul, an Adaptive Golf starlet who competes in the G8: Neurological impairment category, continues to solidify her position among the women’s ranks. It might soon be time for a new trophy case. After her victory in last year’s GAP Adaptive, she went on to win the inaugural Arizona Adaptive Open presented by PING.
She began the day a shot ahead of Lee, and with her eyes on the prize.
“I felt like the putts were dropping right in,” Sengul, who lives with cerebral palsy, said. “I was making some 60-footers and it was just like, ‘OK. Something’s got to be going right today.’”
Sengul carded four birdies in her route to victory. Back-to-back red figures occurred on Nos. 3 (par 5, 370 yards) and 4 (par 3, 121 yards). On the former, she hit a 9-iron from 102 yards to a foot. On the latter, she drained a 40 footer after hitting a 7-iron.
“I knew I didn’t play my best golf yesterday, and I knew I was leading,” Sengul said. “I was like, ‘OK. Play the golf you’re used to playing and it should be an easy victory.’”
The championship win sweetened Sengul’s 2025.
In the U.S. Adaptive Open, she was leading the Women’s Overall competition. Conditions shifted in Round 3 resulting in a disheartening fourth-place finish.
“I just felt like it was easy to make par, like par was boring. I wish that was the case on the third day, but it was a little trickier out there for me,” Sengul said. “I didn’t feel like myself when I was out there, I felt like I was trying to perform a certain way.”
After overcoming some lingering disappointment, Sengul has worked hard on the mental side of her game. Her efforts included seeing a sports psychologist.
A successful title defense is a step in the right direction.
“It really shows I can push through hard moments, and even when you don’t play your best golf you can still win for yourself,” Sengul said.
GAP Adaptive
In 2024, GAP (Golf Association of Philadelphia) launched GAP Adaptive to continue its mission of promoting, preserving and protecting the game of golf for all. GAP’s Adaptive Golf committee opened the season with its first program titled No Limit Clinics, a season-long series of instructional Adaptive Golf events taking place at various GAP Member Clubs. The GAP Adaptive season culminates with the GAP Adaptive Championship, a WR4GD-counting event. The field consists of local and international Adaptive Golfers.
| Results | |
| Men’s Division | R1-R2=Total |
| David de Garavilla, Telford, Pa. | 74-79=153 |
| Jarrett Fultz, Buena Vista, Va. | 73-83=156 |
| Albert Bowker, Buellton, Calif | 78-81=159 |
| Zach Grove, York, Pa. | 81-80=161 |
| James Van Noord, Bloomfield Hills, Mich. | 81-81=162 |
| Ricky Reilly, Syracuse, N.Y. | 80-83=163 |
| Tracy Ramin, Montrose, Mich. | 84-80=164 |
| Douglas Shirakura, Somers, N.Y. | 79-85=164 |
| Brandon Canesi, Northfield, N.J. | 84-80=164 |
| Adam Benza, Hellertown, Pa. | 88-79=167 |
| Vince Biser, Baltimore, Md. | 84-83=167 |
| Pat Garrison, Folsom, Pa. | 88-80=168 |
| Matthew Snowdon, Annapolis, Md. | 89-79=168 |
| James Voland, Glenshaw, Pa. | 87-82=169 |
| Jason Hasty, Chester, Va. | 88-81=169 |
| Fred Heller, Schnecksville, Pa. | 85-85=170 |
| Russell Aide, Belleville, Ontario, Canada | 93-77=170 |
| Andrew Austen, Radnor, Pa. | 90-81=171 |
| Anthony Maldonado, Tucson, Ariz. | 88-84=172 |
| Steven Shipuleski, Plainfield, Conn. | 87-85=172 |
| George Willoughby, Danville, Va. | 87-87=174 |
| Dawson Thompson, Pascagoula, Miss. | 86-88=174 |
| Greg Alessi, Tinton Falls, N.J. | 90-85=175 |
| Ryan Matthews, Anderson, Ind. | 93-83=176 |
| Ryan Lukkari, West Bloomfield, Mich. | 96-84=180 |
| Albee Shanefelter, Silver Spring, Md. | 88-92=180 |
| Tyler Cashman, Oldwick, N.J. | 92-88=180 |
| Matthew Landcastle, Palmyra, N.Y. | 91-89=180 |
| Michael Tallman, Fair Haven, N.J. | 91-91=182 |
| Grant McGuigan, Rochester, N.Y. | 91-92=183 |
| John Platek, Doylestown, Pa. | 97-87=184 |
| Jeffrey Heisey, Gilbertsville, Pa. | 94-90=184 |
| Brayden Tucker, Cortland, N.Y. | 91-94=185 |
| Kevin Holland, Washington, Mich. | 91-95=186 |
| Jeffrey McDonald, Jamison, Pa. | 91-95=186 |
| Charles Lippincott, Center Valley, Pa. | 89-97=186 |
| Jimmy Moceri, Rochester Hills, Mich. | 93-93=186 |
| Adolfo Gomez, Bogotá, Colombia | 96-92=188 |
| Zachary Duncan, Cornelius, N.C. | 96-92=188 |
| Mark Hartney, Williamsburg, Va. | 99-92=191 |
| Will Valkner, Parker, Colo. | 95-97=192 |
| Kevin McBride, Peterborough, Ontario, Canada | 94-98=192 |
| Tom Terp, Woodstown, N.J. | 98-97=195 |
| Steven Blatz, Nazareth, Pa. | 84-111=195 |
| Matthew Gang, Oakton, Va. | 109-88=197 |
| Dan Carney, Harleysville, Pa. | 108-93=201 |
| Matthew Hills, Upper St. Clair, Pa. | 96-107=203 |
| Karl Cooke, Fairfax, Va. | 100-104=204 |
| Jerry Cronin, Perkasie, Pa. | 102-103=205 |
| Eric Tye, Warminster, Pa. | 102-105=207 |
| Steve Kuketz, Quincy, Mass. | 99-112=211 |
| Jason Faircloth, Clinton, N.C. | 104-109=213 |
| Women’s Division | |
| Cassie Sengul, Manassas, Va. | 86-81=167 |
| Nancy Lee, New York, N.Y. | 87-92=179 |
| Meredith Dwyer, Hackensack, N.J. | 94-97=191 |
| Sophia Howard, Hudsonville, Mich. | 94-98=192 |
| Kellie Valentine, McKean, Pa. | 96-110=206 |
| Kelsey Koch, Grand Blanc, Mich. | 107-102=209 |
| Tessa Trojan, St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada | 97-115=212 |
| Alison Seber, Belle Mead, N.J. | 116-WD=WD |
| WD – withdraw |
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