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

Food products from animals with heritable genetic modifications potential boon to producers, consumers and animals

Farmers have been improving the genetics of their animals for thousands of years through...

Anna Paltseva, clinical assistant professor of urban science in the agronomy department, sits outside of a greenhouse, holding her Urban Soils Guide.

Framework to expand engagement in urban areas

Urban soils are essential to building sustainable cities — from supporting green...

Farmer sentiment improves as long-term optimism outweighs tariff concerns

Farmer sentiment improved in April as producers expressed more optimism about current and future...

Revolutionizing waste: How black soldier flies transform food waste into sustainable solutions

With food waste being a growing problem around the world, finding innovative solutions is more...

Two women examine the ground near tomato plants

Small Farm Education Field Day will feature new research, demonstrations and Purdue experts

The Purdue Small Farm Education Field Day on July 24 will offer demonstrations and presentations...

Oseremi Olivia Jagbojo - Graduate Ag Research Spotlight

Growing up in bustling Lagos, Nigeria, the largest city in Africa, agriculture was the furthest...