The biggest winner on the PGA Tour this year was not Vijay Singh. Or Tiger Woods. Or Padraig Harrington. It was DJ Gregory.
For those not familiar with the name, Gregory is a 30-year-old man with cerebral palsy who in his early years was given little hope of walking. But after the final round of the final PGA Tour event at the Children's Miracle Network Classic at the Walt Disney World Resort, Gregory proved that dreams really do come true--he had walked 18 holes at every round of every PGA Tour event in 2008.
I'll save you the math: That's more than 900 miles. This from a man who was born 10 weeks premature and when oxygen was pumped into his collapsed lungs, the pressure caused blood vessels to burst in his legs, making them curve so that his feet pointed out at a 90-degree angle. Needless to say, Gregory needs a cane to assist in his walking.
Still, Gregory wants no sympathy. "I can do everything anyone else can do," he said earlier this year. "Just a little slower."
That he can. ESPN ran a 12-minute segment on Gregory's year, which included following one player each week. In our busy days 12 minutes can be a lot of time. I have a ton on my plate today but I took the time to watch it and I'm glad I did. It's inspiring to say the least and anyone who doesn't get a little choked up watching it simply doesn't have a soul. Well done, DJ.--E. Michael Johnson
The best of Golf Digest delivered daily
Sign UpWill be used in accordance with our PRIVACY POLICY