How This Ag Engineer Is Making Golf More Inclusive

Seth King is an advocate for people with disabilities and is changing the course of the game

For Seth King, attending the 2023 John Deere Classic and touring a John Deere factory combined two of his greatest joys – agriculture and golf.

It also provided the silver-award winning Special Olympian golfer a platform to highlight how the sport is becoming more inclusive by developing adaptive tournaments for those with disabilities.

“The rules have been adapted for people who have disabilities, not just mental or physical disabilities,” he explained. “A good example is for the blind. They get an aid that can help them aim and find the ball and just help guide them around the course and no penalty comes with that.”

About Seth

Seth, an athlete with high-functioning autism, first started golfing when he was quite young. One of his fondest memories is swinging a golf club while helping his family harvest corn, wheat, and soybeans at their farm in Fishers, Indiana.

In high-school, Seth’s passion for the game grew. He competed in the Special Olympics and broke new ground being an athlete with high-functioning autism. He won two silver medals at state competitions and holds a World Ranking for Golfers with Disabilities which allows him to play in most disability and adaptive tournaments worldwide. He is only the second athlete to receive worldwide eligibility.

Most recently, Seth was invited by the prestigious European Royal and Ancient (R&A) to enter their inaugural adaptive open. An R&A representative recently shared, "Seth is just the second athlete in the II-3 group to get full International eligibility (worldwide) so is set to help break new ground and advocate for emerging opportunities for athletes."

Seth is now a sophomore at Purdue University and majors in Ag engineering. He chose the subject because he enjoys farming but also loves math and technology. Seth explained, “I want to be part of the technology increase and getting faster with, you know, new autonomous [equipment].”

Story originally published by John Deere.

Featured Stories

Trent Osmon speaks to a group of students in the forest

Trent Osmon Named 2023 FNR Distinguished Alumnus

Purdue Forestry and Natural Resources is proud to honor Trent Osmon with its 2023 FNR...

Instructors Inducted into Book of Great Teachers

Purdue inducted 38 instructors into its Book of Great Teachers, which honors outstanding teaching...

Agronomy Alumna Nominated as Inventor of the Year

Kavitha Dasu (PhD ’11, Agronomy), senior research scientist and lead chemist for...

From the home turf to the "Friendly Confines"

Kiermaier now stands on that same field in official Cubs gear. It's a regular Tuesday in the...

Cultivating the Future: Izaak Gilchrist

The spider hanging upside down from the corner of your room and the silverfish that crawled out...

FNR Names Dave Case as 2023 Lifetime Achievement Award Recipient

Purdue Forestry and Natural Resources is proud to name Dave Case as its 2023 FNR Lifetime...