This double amputee has found power in adaptive golf

Evan Mathias gazed down the fairway and twirled his golf club before he walked up to the tee on his prosthetic legs.

With his white shoes planted on the ground, he uncorked a swing that blasted the ball down the green. The double amputee competed in the 5th U.S. Adaptive Open in Rockville, Maryland from July 6-8 in his fourth appearance in the event.

He placed 20th overall, shooting a 227 over three days. He ranked second in the men's Multiple Limb Amputee category.

Today’s version of Mathias mirrors the 10-year-old youngster that first competed in disabled golf tournaments. He is a golf aficionado who was born with congenital defects in both legs, which were amputated shortly after birth, and has worn prosthetics for most of his life. The young kid that grew up damaging those prosthetics from playing multiple sports.

Now a 30-year-old father, Mathias is locked in on adaptive golf — which tailors the game to people with disabilities through modified rules or equipment. It is a way to show his nearly 3-year-old daughter, Grace, that boundaries stand no chance against ambition.

“I just want her to know that nothing has ever stopped me, and nothing can stop her,” Mathias said. “Whether you’re missing a limb or struggling … you can always find a way to finish what you need to do or you can overcome any challenges.”

Mathias got his first pair of prosthetics when he was 11 months old. He was recasted every two years up until he was about 18 years old. Throughout that time, he was a sports junkie that wore out his prosthetics to the point where parts would break.

Jeff Hartley, a certified prosthetist who has been in the field of prosthetics for 41 years, fitted Mathias’ first prostheses and continues to do so today.

“Affectionally, I started calling him the Evanator, the destroyer of prosthetic components, because keeping him fit so well he was able to do so many activities that he would finally start stressing the components and he would actually break them,” Hartley said. “He would break the carbon-bladed feet right into two due to his high-activity level … but the whole process is if he’s breaking these components then he’s doing well more than he should. That’s the ultimate goal: not to hold someone back. It’s to allow them to do the things they want to do.”

Since both sides of his family were filled with avid golfers, Mathias gravitated towards the sport himself. His first event was in Circleville, Ohio, which was hosted by accomplished amputee golfer John Novak.

From a young age, Mathias was surrounded by disabled golfers. It painted him a picture of what life could look like once he hit adulthood.

“Just being around amputees that had regular jobs, they were married, they had families — it was something he saw modeled at a young age,” said Tiffany Mathias, Evan's mom. “It showed him that being an amputee wasn't going to make his life and goals look different than non amputees.

"His father and I tried to reinforce the message that he can do anything and be anything he wanted to be, and actually seeing the reality of it at the NAGA (National Amputee Golf Association) events made (it) more real. It wasn't just words from his parents and family members giving him encouragement. He also saw it and never questioned his own future."

Mathias earned 10 varsity letters at Jay County High School where he played four years of high school golf, four years of swimming and two years of tennis. He played golf at Marian University and continued to play adaptive golf after college.

He currently is a Golf Galaxy employee who spends his free time competing in adaptive opens across the country. It scratches his itch for competition.

“I’m a competitive person,” Mathias said. “I love getting out and trying to win. It’s just a great experience, especially the U.S. Adaptive Open. It’s such a high caliber event … It is the highest level of disabled golf there is, and it’s really cool seeing everyone coming out and competing, playing in all of the qualifiers that they have to play in. It’s just a really awesome experience.”

Mathias never let the inconvenience of having two prosthetics hold him back. At times, finding a good stance is hard on terrain. He might not get maximum power in his rotational swing, but he doesn't need the speed and agility required in other sports.

His passion for golf is too impenetrable for negativity. No obstacle or failure has slowed down his drive — a mindset fit for a father.

“Evan’s never been about his disability or what he can or can’t do," Tiffany Mathias said. "Evan’s just been about, ‘I want to do this and I’m going to go after it.’ Sometimes things work, sometimes things don’t.

“I think that’s kind of the attitude that he will have as a father. He will encourage Grace to do the things she wants to try and let her know it’s okay if it doesn’t work out.”

Mathias is known for his heart of gold and his dedication to the growth of adaptive golf. He encourages disabled people in the Indianapolis area to contact Indiana Golf, which hosts free monthly clinics in Zionsville.

“Evan has a heart for others,” said adaptive golfer Sophia Howard. “He invites, he encourages and he coaches. He wants to see the game grow (whether) that’s in purse money, tournament revenues or in numbers (and) getting more adaptive golfers in the game.”

As a kid, Mathias was often told he was an inspiration — a role he didn’t fully grasp until adulthood. He has helped power an adaptive golf community that has stoked his competitive fire.

“Some of these guys are paralyzed, they’re hitting out of a wheelchair or specialized wheelchair cart and they’re shooting even par,” Mathias said. “They’re hitting the ball with one arm; they have muscular issues where they can’t bend or move. There’s just so many different things that make this game so much harder for our group and community and adaptive golfers.

“Anyone whose played golf and knows how hard it is, it just kind of blows their minds to see whether myself or others that are even others that are more disabled than I am what they can do and what they can produce. It really is inspiring.”

Marc Ray is a high school sports reporter at the IndyStar. He can be reached at marc.ray@indystar.com , and on X, formerly Twitter, at @themarcszn.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: This double amputee has found power in adaptive golf