Winner Akiyama Takuya poses with Korea Disabled Golf Association President Seo Yun-jeong. [Photo provided by Korea Disabled Golf Association]
Winner Akiyama Takuya poses with Korea Disabled Golf Association President Seo Yun-jeong. [Photo provided by Korea Disabled Golf Association]

Japan's Akiyama Takuya claimed the top prize at South Korea's first international adaptive golf tournament, taking the inaugural title at the 2026 Seoul International Adaptive Golf Championship.

The Korea Disabled Golf Association hosted the 2026 SEOUL KDGA Adaptive OPEN International Championship from June 29 to July 1 at Berhill Country Club Yeongjong in Incheon's Jung-gu, a par-72 course.

The international competition division — the centerpiece of the event — ran over two days, June 30 and July 1. Competitors played under strict international rules, with three players sharing each cart alongside a tournament official.

Akiyama, ranked third in Japan and a lower-limb amputee, dominated the field with an 81 in the first round and a 76 in the second, finishing at a total score of 157 to claim the trophy, medal and prize.

South Korea's Dong Sang-hee, who has above-the-knee and upper-limb amputations, took the runner-up spot. Dong shot an 86 in the first round before rallying with a 76 in the second for a total of 162, keeping the contest tight until the final holes.

The international division drew a strong field of adaptive golfers from home and abroad. Five South Korean players competed, including Han Jeong-won, a former world No. 1 in the women's standing category at the World Disabled Golf Championship, alongside three Japanese players including Akiyama and Hong Kong's Andreas Hoin Ma, who attended with family, fostering international exchange throughout the event.

The domestic division qualifying round, held June 29, drew 55 participants who had cleared a document screening process — 12 with physical disabilities, 18 with intellectual and developmental disabilities, nine with hearing impairments, eight with visual impairments and eight supporters. Each group of three players was joined by a marker to ensure accuracy and fairness in scoring.

The Korea Disabled Golf Association traces its roots to the Professional Golf Teachers Association, a nonprofit incorporated in 2001. Since 2014, it has held at least one adaptive golf tournament per year, accumulating 808 total participants. The association grew the event under the sponsorship of the Seoul Metropolitan Government, updated its charter under its current name in 2025, and this year achieved the milestone of hosting South Korea's first international adaptive golf championship.

Korea Disabled Golf Association President Seo Yun-jeong said the tournament "was more than a competition — it was a place that gave courage and hope to everyone who overcomes disability and presses forward toward new challenges." She added that discussions with participating national associations on expanding future events and deepening cooperation had raised her hopes that "Korean adaptive golf will become a central pillar of international collaboration in Asia."


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