Humana Sponsors International Competition for One-Armed Golfers

The tournament is named after Louisville, KY-native Don Fightmaster, who, while serving in the U.S. Air Force, lost an arm in an accident in 1954. Fightmaster taught himself to play golf one-handed and became so accomplished that Time magazine referred to him as “the Arnold Palmer of amputee golf.”

Fightmaster, now 76, has inspired innumerable young men and women with permanent disabilities to improve their lives through golf.  The Fightmaster Foundation has raised nearly $1 million for organizations that support children with disabilities.

To support the inaugural competition, Humana will contribute $100,000 to the event. Louisville-based North American One-Arm Golfer Association (NAOAGA) and United Kingdom-based Society of One-Arm Golfers will field teams comprised of 12 players and a captain.  Golfers will be selected by their respective organizations’ competitions and through their captains’ discretion.

The Humana Fightmaster Cup is positioned to be one of the signature events of “The Cup Experience presented by regional supercenter meijer,” a community-wide celebration staged by the Louisville Host Committee. This celebration leads up to the Ryder Cup, which is scheduled for September 16-21 at Louisville’s Valhalla Golf Club.

“We are excited to be the inaugural sponsor of the Humana Fightmaster Cup and contribute to helping our hometown of Louisville shine in the days leading up to the Ryder Cup,” said Virginia Kelly Judd, executive director of The Humana Foundation. “We are delighted to support such an inspiring event.”

In a message of appreciation to Humana, Louisville Metro mayor Jerry Abramson expressed his gratitude for the example that Humana is setting for other possible Cup Experience sponsors. “Humana is a great corporate citizen – and this sponsorship of what will be the Humana Fightmaster Cup is just the latest example,” Abramson said. He went on to say that the Fightmaster Cup tournament would be a great event during The Cup Experience.

“The Humana Fightmaster Cup embodies what Don Fightmaster himself has represented for the past 50 years – an inspiration to those who suffered setbacks in life, an event that disregards limits, and a highly competitive golf match,” said NAOAGA past-president and founding member, Alan Gentry. Gentry, who is a member of the 2008 North American Humana Fightmaster Team, went on to say, “On behalf of the players and members of both participating organizations – and the individuals worldwide who will be motivated by this event – we want to thank Humana for its generous support.”