The primary event of the 2025 STARS of the Spectrum Golf season is full, and in a means it was a full circle second for the tour. This event, often called the Orlando Traditional, was held at Orange County Nationwide Golf Heart, the course that was additionally residence to the 2022 Special Olympics USA Games.
Within the years since these USA Video games, the STARS of the Spectrum Golf Tour has grown into what it’s right now, bringing in lots of who participated again in 2022 to a tour wherein golfers compete on a nationwide degree a number of instances per 12 months, all whereas supporting their golf careers and giving again to their native autism communities. Most of all, it has grown right into a group.
A event at Orange County was intriguing to a number of STARS golfers. The course is Daniel Steele’s residence course, as his father works there.
Tyler Lagasse received the gold medal within the highest division of Particular Olympics on the course again in 2022. He was additionally defending the 2024 season-long title:
Because the leaderboard reveals, Thomas Cleek received the primary event of the season one 12 months in the past, a event that additionally happened in Orlando.
Matt Snowdon, one of many 2025 season’s two new golfers, got here a number of days early to follow on the course.
With so many golfers hungry to compete, it led to a fair nearer event than final time. Along with awards for the highest 3, there have been awards given out for longest drive and closest to the pin on particular preselected holes. Hold studying to learn the way it went down.
The Course: Panther Lake
Whereas the event was happening on the advanced the place the USA Video games did, a lot of the golfers performed the USA Video games on Crooked Cat, one among Orange County’s two 18-hole programs. The Basis opted to combine issues up and maintain this event on the opposite course: Panther Lake. I had the prospect to take a look at the course the day earlier than the event. The beneath video consists of scenes from just a few key holes, together with the holes on which closest to the pin and longest drive competitions had been held.
STARS Golf welcomes Matt Snowdon and Bryson Weeks
STARS Golf works to usher in new golfers each season, and the tour welcomed two golfers forward of this event: Matt Snowdon and Bryson Weeks. The tour is now as much as 13 golfers, although three had been unable to make it to Orlando. These three will submit a rating from their native course rather than the occasion.
Snowdon comes from Maryland. A 5 handicap and a member of his highschool golf workforce, Snowdon has been {golfing} for a very long time and dominated in native competitions. STARS Golf represented the following step in his golf profession.
Weeks comes from Texas, and he met present STARS golfer Vincent Egan at one other golf occasion. A 12 handicap, Weeks has additionally been {golfing} since he was little. Lately, he turned sponsored by a rising golf model often called Slice Cowboys. Listed below are a few of Weeks’ highlights in addition to a powerful putt by Snowdon:
Snowdon and Weeks rapidly obtained together with the opposite golfers, strengthening the STARS Golf group.
A particular visitor on the course
Along with the debuts of Snowdon and Weeks, the event had a particular visitor out on the course. None apart from Flutie Basis co-founder and former NFL quarterback Doug Flutie.
Flutie joined the event’s earliest tee group alongside Vincent Egan and Peter Condon, however had the prospect to hang around with all 10 golfers on the occasion.
Me and Vincent Egan with Doug Flutie
I had the prospect to introduce Doug and all 10 golfers on the occasion’s opening ceremonies:
Now, let’s get to the motion.
Lagasse, Egan, Condon stand sturdy early
Within the early holes, Tyler Lagasse, Vincent Egan, and Peter Condon emerged atop the leaderboard, simply how they did within the 2024 season. Condon made an announcement by birdieing the primary gap, however Lagasse and Egan caught up over the following few holes. Egan made par on every of the primary 4 holes, and Lagasse had this birdie putt on gap 2:
Carter Bonas was additionally within the combine early, netting par on 2 of the primary 3 holes and staying inside a pair strokes of the lead all through the primary few.
Steele wins Closest to the Pin, works into the combo
Whereas many golfers landed the inexperienced on Gap 6, no person got here nearer than Daniel Steele, who set himself up comfortably for par on the outlet. With a internet eagle on gap 7, Steele pushed his means proper into the combo on the leaderboard. Feeling snug on his residence course, Steele would stay among the many high golfers for the remainder of the day. This birdie on gap 16 was amongst his finest photographs (video courtesy of Jim Steele):
Kelley, Snowdon bounce into result in finish entrance 9
Via the top of the entrance 9, Ian Kelley and Matthew Snowdon had been tied for a slim lead over the sphere. Kelley began his day with this drive:
Afterward, he birdied gap 7 to leap a number of golfers for the highest spot. Snowdon, in the meantime, birdied 2 out of three holes between holes 7-9 after 5 consecutive pars. Right here had been a few of Snowdon’s entrance 9 highlights:
Golfers grabbed their lunches to go between holes 9 and 10. With that, the again 9 and the homestretch of the event had been underway.
Egan wins Longest Drive competitors, however Lagasse comes shut
At +2, Vincent Egan was already having a powerful day, however on gap 13 he hit the drive that might finally win him a trophy. When the third and remaining tee group reached 13, the marker had not been moved since Egan’s shot. On this group, Tyler Lagasse had a fairly sturdy drive of his personal that truly traveled additional than Egan’s by about 10 yards. Nevertheless, it missed the golf green by about 2 toes, so it didn’t rely by the principles of the competitors, leaving Egan topped because the winner of the longest drive trophy.
Each Lagasse and Egan had themselves firmly within the combine for the highest spot on the leaderboard.
The homestretch: a number of lead adjustments in remaining minutes
It was round 1PM. Vincent Egan and Peter Condon’s tee group with Doug Flutie had been already completed {golfing}, Egan capturing a internet 77 (+5) and Condon a internet 78 (+6). These two, alongside Daniel Steele, Tyler Lagasse, Matthew Snowdon, and Ian Kelley, had been all in tight competitors for the highest spots on the leaderboard.
Whereas Kelley and Steele’s tee group had been barely forward of Lagasse and Snowdon’s, everybody was on the ultimate two holes on the identical time. Lagasse and Snowdon’s crew reached gap 17 whereas Kelley and Steele’s group had been nonetheless on the inexperienced.
Tyler Lagasse, Matthew Snowdon, and Thomas Cleek all made the inexperienced on their first shot right here, with Bryson Weeks proper on the perimeter:
https://twitter.com/AndrewRoberts1/status/1877778620367704308
All 4 completed sturdy, with two of them becoming a member of “The Birdie Bunch”:
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In the meantime, the tee group of Steele, Kelley, Ryan Lewis, and Carter Bonas had made their approach to the ultimate gap. Whereas this group fared nicely on the 18th, none of them had been capable of surpass Egan’s rating on the course of +5.
That left Egan competing for first place with Lagasse and Snowdon, who every had the ultimate gap to play. Since Lagasse and Snowdon have decrease handicaps than Egan, if both of them even tied Egan’s rating, they’d win the overall stroke tiebreaker and take first place.
It got here right down to the ultimate seconds right here. Nevertheless, this Lagasse birdie turned out to be the event profitable shot:
Lagasse takes residence the gold once more
The final time Tyler Lagasse golfed at Orange County Nationwide Golf Heart, he left together with his first Particular Olympic gold medal. This time, he leaves with the primary place trophy in STARS Golf’s first event of the 2025 season. See the complete leaderboard beneath:
Egan and Snowdon completed 2nd and third, respectively. As well as, Ryan Lewis completed together with his private finest for an in-person event! All of the profitable golfers acquired trophies from Flutie Basis-sponsored Gregory’s Particular Creations at that night’s closing ceremonies:
Photograph by way of Doug Flutie Jr. Basis for Autism
Whereas the event was over, the weekend was simply starting.
The enjoyable didn’t finish there
Quickly after the closing ceremonies, the following likelihood for the golfers to compete started. The Flutie Basis partnered with Jersey Mike’s to carry a 14-foot putt competitors, referencing the 14-foot counters in Jersey Mike’s eating places. By making their putts right into a Jersey Mike’s bag, Tyler Lagasse, Ryan Lewis, and Thomas Cleek received Jersey Mike’s for his or her complete households!
The Flutie Basis additionally gave away three further Jersey Mike’s reward playing cards in a Pirate’s Cove mini golf occasion the following day. Golfers had been divided into three teams, similar to the large event. Nevertheless, this time round, there can be a winner in every group taking a present card. Matt Snowdon, Vincent Egan, and Carter Bonas took these residence. Snowdon was just some strokes away from the course report!
All of the golfers had been additionally invited to a STARS of the Spectrum live performance at a close-by venue, Howl on the Moon, the place they’d the prospect to go onstage alongside many STARS of the Spectrum musical artists and be acknowledged for his or her efforts all through the weekend.
It’s at all times a enjoyable time to be part of these action-packed weekends with the STARS of the Spectrum Golfers. I really really feel that this golf tour has develop into a group. I’d wish to thank the Flutie Basis for placing religion in me and supporting me in my administration and protection of this league. I’d wish to thank the golfers for coming, all of the mother and father who assist these golfers day in and day trip, the golf course for graciously internet hosting us, the opposite STARS of the Spectrum who supported us alongside the way in which, and all of the volunteers who saved this event up and operating, together with my dad who got here together with me for the journey. I’m excited for what’s forward for this rising golf tour. The season-long leaderboard might be up to date as soon as the golfers who couldn’t attend submit their distant scores. That, alongside rather more protection of this tour, is to return.
