A KILWINNING golfer is set to tee it up on the biggest stage of all after earning his place in a major tournament.
Jonathan Chown will be competing in the US Adaptive Open from July 6-8 after topping his qualifier, in Texas, for the tournament at Woodmont Country Club in Rockville, Maryland.
Adaptive golf is a modified and inclusive version of the traditional sport which which allows all individuals to play through the use of specialised equipment or adapted rules.
Jonathan, who was born with cerebral palsy which affects his left side, became aware of the scene having already been playing at a high level.
The 32-year-old, who is originally from Essex, turned professional 11 years ago and spent three years competing on the Jamega Tour.
He then moved into coaching and, at this time, started sharing golf content via Instagram and later YouTube to help grow his business.
This proved popular with Jonathan now boasting 72,000 and 134,000 followers on the respective platforms.
This has allowed him to coach players, from all over the world, full-time via a platform called Skillest.
For the past two years, he has been competing in adaptive golf events with this his first attempt to qualify for the US Open.
The championship is one of the two major championships in adaptive golf, alongside the G4D Open, which Jonathan finished tied 23rd in earlier this year.
Jonathan says qualifying for the event is something he will never forget.
He said: "It took a while to sink in because I was battling the Texas heat over the closing holes and wasn't feeling my best physically.
"Once it finally sank in, though, it was an incredible feeling and a moment I'll always remember. This is the biggest achievement of my playing career so far.
"To travel to the United States, compete in a completely different environment and win on my first attempt is something I'm extremely proud of."
The Kilwinning man is now looking forward to seeing how he can fair in another major championship.
Jonathan added: "On the course, my focus is to enjoy the experience, stick to my game plan and give myself as many birdie opportunities as possible. The scoring was very low last year, so it will require a positive and attacking style of golf.
"My goal is to put myself in contention and give myself a genuine chance to win. I have a lot of belief in my game and feel I can compete with the best players in the field."
He hopes that this will help him towards his ultimate aim of becoming the world's best adaptive golfer.
He continued: "This is only my second season competing in disability golf events and I’m currently ranked 45th in the world. My long-term ambition is to become the world number one adaptive golfer.
"I’d also encourage anyone, whether disabled or able-bodied, to give golf a try. One of the biggest reasons I’ve improved as a player is that I’ve never allowed cerebral palsy to become an excuse.
"Whenever I’ve faced a challenge, I’ve tried to find a way around it and keep improving.
"I believe that mindset can help golfers of all abilities. Improvement isn’t always about what you can’t do; it’s about focusing on what you can do and continuing to move forward."
Jonathan also wished to pay homage to those who made his ambitions a reality.
He commented: "I'd like to thank my dad for introducing me to golf and supporting my development throughout the years.
"I'd also like to thank my wife for her unwavering support, dedication and selflessness in helping me pursue my goals.
"I'd also like to thank everyone at Rowallan Castle Golf Club for their support and for providing such a fantastic environment to practise and prepare."
Those wishing to watch Jonathan in action can watch the championship live via the USGA YouTube channel.
Johnathon's own social media channels are available at JChownGolf.
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