Special Olympians Swing Into Action

Special Olympians will tee off this weekend at the Van Nuys Executive Golf Course, vying for medals in the golf competition at the 28th annual Southern California Special Olympics Summer Games.

More than 40 golfers and coaches from across Southern California are expected to hit the links for a preliminary round Saturday followed by a competitive round Sunday, said Gregg Sawaya, event coordinator and teaching pro at the course.

Based on their standings following the first round of play, Sawaya said the golfers will be grouped according to ability and compete on Sunday for gold, silver and bronze medals.

The golfers’ skills will be tested on the executive course with its water, sand traps, six par-three holes and three par-four holes, Sawaya said.

Golf was first introduced as an experimental event at the Southern California Special Olympics in 1995, Sawaya said, and was permanently added a year later.

While most people are aware of the special athletes who compete in high-profile swimming and track and field events, Sawaya said the golf event is beginning to get wider attention as a result of a surge of interest in golf since Tiger Woods turned pro in 1996 and recently won the Masters tournament.

“The community really needs to know there is a program out there that is teaching people with mental retardation about golf,� Sawaya said. “It gives me a good feeling inside to see these golfers out there competing.�

As the golfers shoot it out in Van Nuys, about 3,800 additional athletes, coaches and volunteers will be on the UCLA campus competing in swimming, tennis, gymnastics, basketball and track and field events, Sawaya said.

The two-day Special Olympics competition marks the culmination of the sports season for Southern California athletes with mental retardation.

The golf event, which is free and open to the public, begins at 9 a.m. both Saturday and Sunday at the Van Nuys Golf Course, 6550 Odessa Ave.

For more information on all events, call (310) 447-7181.