WESTFIELD – Now that the summer weather has touched the Pioneer Valley, it is time to break out the clubs and enjoy weekend afternoons on the many local links and, after weeks of practice, local Special Olympics golfers are teeing up Sunday as part of the 2014 West Section Gold Assessment Round.
This year’s qualifying round, to be held at Tekoa Country Club in Westfield for the second consecutive year, will showcase the top Special Olympics athletes from as far away as Worcester, as well as some local Whip City area competitors.
“Tekoa Country Club has been our home course for the last seven years since we started the program,” said Ray Rivera, one of the event organizers. They’re great partners with the community as far as Special Olympics. E.J.and Dan Burack are great ambassadors for golf and especially help Special Olympics out quite a bit.”
The 1 p.m. opening ceremony will kick off an afternoon full of competition in four different sections. Athletes participate in either 9- or 18-hole competitions, or they participate in 9- or 18-hole partner competitions, where an athlete and a volunteer partner alternate strokes.
After playing weekly, including at Sunday’s assessment round, each athlete will receive a handicap and qualify for the state tournament. At states, the top three teams will qualify for a national tournament, which was held in New Jersey last year.
For more information about the event, or to register to be a volunteer golfer Sunday, please call Rivera at (413) 265-0913.
