- [Interviewer] So we're gonna pretend
this isn't here and just- - Alright, right.
- [Interviewer] Can we just start?
If you'll introduce yourself,
and where you're from?
- Oh, I'm John Bell.
I live in Weeki Wachee, Florida.
- [Interviewer] Awesome, and who are you here with today?
- I'm caddying for Sophia Howard.
- [Interviewer] How's that going?
- It's phenomenal to see her play and progress
as we keep on going down the field.
- [Interviewer] Absolutely,
and you have some knowledge of the game, she was saying,
but she said she sometimes vetoes.
How is that dynamic?
- Yeah, I mean, it's a tough balance, you know?
I'm pretty much winging it with her,
never playing with her before,
and I wrote down a bunch of notes.
I play in our practice rounds
and brought her up some clubs,
and the clubs and her game has just drastically improved,
and we mesh well together,
and we just have a great time,
and that's what golf is all about.
- [Interviewer] Absolutely.
I mean, I was following you guys for a little bit today.
The banter's- - Yeah! (chuckles)
Yeah, yeah, I was wondering what kind of conversation
was gonna enter in on the highlight reel,
one of those silly conversations
they were having about legs and stuff.
- [Interviewer] Absolutely, that's what we're trying to get,
is just the raw,
kinda what's going on with the day-to-day.
- Yeah.
- [Interviewer] So did you have a highlight
of the day today?
- I'm gonna say all of it was today,
or when me and her were joking
when I think you were filming us
talking about when she almost,
when she tripped to try to get in the cart
and I was kidding with her,
"It must be tough to walk with two legs."
I think that was a really funny moment
for both of us in the cart,
and I think you were able to capture that on camera,
and I think I saw you laughing back there, too,
about us bantering back and forth
about tripping in the cart.
- [Interviewer] Absolutely.
So what's your experience with golf?
- So I started playing disabled golf, or adaptive golf,
maybe the late 2017.
Just really dove into it, the US Disabled Open in 2018,
and then it just exploded,
and then, I play all over the world,
and then we come to this event,
and this is by far top-notch.
- [Interviewer] What's it like coming in
from these other tournaments,
coming into Pinehurst
and being here for the first inaugural event?
- Oh, it's phenomenal.
I mean, there's no words.
It's, you can't describe it.
I mean, I just came back
from a Ryder Cup-style event in London back in May.
Team USA against Europe,
and I ended up sinking the winning putt for our team.
So that was a pretty big deal for me.
It was on YouTube and broadcasted.
But you come to this event,
it's a bigger family.
As opposed to, say, 32 of us in London,
this is 100 and, let's say 20 of us, as a family,
and there's new and old friends, is what's here.
- [Interviewer] Absolutely,
and speaking of friends and family,
who's your biggest supporter you do this for?
- Personally?
I mean, my friends and family,
they're pretty big supporters
with having to deal with me out of town all the time
doing this stuff,
and Callaway's got behind me really big and helped me out
and really stepped up my game.
- [Interviewer] Absolutely.
It's so meaningful to have people that support you
and all of that,
and I could feel the energy today,
just going through, talking to everybody
and seeing people interacting on the green and such.
What do you see as the future of adaptive golf,
and how is this kinda the first step towards that?
- I think it's only gonna get bigger.
And with this, more,
I should say, bigger reach.
With social media and the resources that the USGA has,
I think more people are gonna get off the couch.
We've already been doing this for years,
but it's been on a smaller scale.
We don't have the reach that the USGA has,
where it's on social media or the Golf Channel and stuff,
to where I've been getting more messages from new people
since this has been going on,
and registration's been out,
"How can I become an adaptive golfer?"
Like, I was at a concert last weekend
and a guy came up to me and asked me if I was a golfer,
and I was not wearing golf clothes,
and he knew me from Instagram because of my golf stuff.
So people are, have attention with it.
- [Interviewer] How does it feel to be a celebrity?
- (laughs) I don't want to say a celebrity,
but it's pretty cool to make a difference
in somebody's life.
- [Interviewer] Absolutely,
and what advice do you give to someone like that
when they're looking to get into adaptive golf?
- I'm gonna say, just once, maybe Google it,
and reach out to any statewide organization and ask people.
Ask the people that are here.
"Hey, how can I get into it?"
The people that you see on TV,
reach out to 'em on social media.
"Hey, how can I get into adaptive golf?"
There's clinics all over the country, if not the world.
- [Interviewer] Absolutely.
What do you feel like is special to you
about golf, in particular,
in terms of adaptive sports?
- I think, well, golf for me,
it gives me exercise and mobility
to where I can golf a couple holes here or there,
it depends on how your body's feeling,
but walking around on the course,
especially this course, being undulated up and down,
it builds up my core strength
and all the muscles I need for walking correctly,
as opposed to getting off your couch
and making toast or making coffee.
This is great exercise.
Now, granted, it's pretty warm out today,
but it's still pretty good exercise.
- [Interviewer] Absolutely.
Did you feel like the heat and humidity
were a factor today for the play?
- I know it is for the players.
I live in Florida and this is normal for me,
so this is no big deal.
You've seen I have that great big fan with me.
I'm pretty bougie,
but a lot of people don't take that in effect
that it's so hot out and the cooling towel situation,
or drinking sips of water
every couple times you get in a cart.
Even Sophia, I was pointing at the water, she said,
"I just drank it, I just drank it."
I said, "Just take two sips and let's keep going,"
or, "Eat a half a granola bar,"
and then she ate that granola bar
and then had that really great flop shot,
and she got close and did that tap in.
It's little things like that that you need.
It's fuel for your body.
It keeps you going.
It's really tough out here,
especially with us disabled people.
We burn more calories walking around.
Like, me being an above-knee amputee,
I burn 65% more energy than you walking around.
Maybe not with your camera,
but I burn that much more energy than you do
just zooming around.
And then you have multiple people with missing limbs
and this and that and they, it's even more.
To where you throw in the heat and the humidity into factor,
and it's just, it spirals out of control from there.
- [Interviewer] Absolutely.
- But everybody's doing it.
Everybody's grinding it out.
- [Interviewer] When you got the age range of 15 to 80-
- Right? (chuckles)
Right?
It's a really big age range.
It's not like 33.
- [Interviewer] Absolutely, absolutely.
So is there anything else that you would want someone
who's not familiar with adaptive golf
to know about the sport?
- Try it.
Absolutely, try it.
- [Interviewer] Awesome, thank you so much.
It's been a pleasure filming you.