PHOENIX (AP) — Golfer Amy Bockerstette is set to become the first person with Down syndrome to compete in a national collegiate athletic championship.
The 22-year-old woman will play with her Paradise Valley Community College teammates at the NJCAA national championships May 10 to May 13 at Plantation Bay Golf & Country Club in Ormond Beach, Florida.
So excited to compete with my @PVCC_Official @PVCCPumas teammates @NJCAA ⛳️ Nationals next week! #InclusionRevolution https://t.co/ML3iP5ln5V
— Amy Bockerstette (@AmyGolfsNDances) May 3, 2021
Bockerstette is the first person with Down syndrome to earn a college athletic scholarship and she became a viral sensation when she played the 16th hole at TPC Scottsdale with PGA Tour player Gary Woodland before the 2019 Phoenix Open.
Part of Bockerstette’s charm at the event was that she would say “I got this” before sinking a putt.
Special Olympian golfer Amy Bockerstette's par on this hole will make your heart melt ❤️ (via @PGATOUR) pic.twitter.com/YdqNnSz0er
— ESPN (@espn) January 31, 2019
Since then, the golfer has used that phrase to create the I Got This Foundation, a nonprofit that helps teach people with Down syndrome and other intellectual disabilities to play golf.