GRAND BLANC TWP, MI – Wade Finney hasn’t attempted a Golf shot in about 20 years.

That all changed on Monday, Aug. 21 when he attended the PGA Tour Champions’ The Ally Challenge at Warwick Hills in Grand Blanc Township.

Finney, 58, was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis 25 years ago and stopped playing the sport he once enjoyed on a regular basis.

Sitting in his wheel chair, Finney leaned in and smacked the ball.

“First shot in 20 years!” his instructor shouted.

“It was wonderful,” Finney said. “The first (shot) felt a little bad because you make a big divot to hit the ball. But then once you make contact, it’s like hey, you know what? There’s a sound. So it was nice.”

The McLaren Health Care and the McLaren Flint Foundation teamed up with the National Amputee Golf Association and the U.S. Adaptive Golf Alliance to put on a clinic featuring trained adaptive golf coaches providing instruction to a group of more than 30 adaptive golfers using a wide array of adaptive golf equipment.

Adaptive golf is a rising movement in golf to continue to grow the game and provide people with physical disabilities the tools and training to enjoy the game.

Multiple Sclerosis is a long-lasting chronic disease of the central nervous system and is thought to be an autoimmune disorder, a condition in which the body attacks itself by mistake, according to the hopkinsmedicine.org.

Finney’s Multiple Sclerosis has been a slow progression over the years, he said, making it difficult for him to stand and grip things.

Before his diagnosis, he was part of a golf league with his friends.

“Golf is not the most handicap friendly sport,” he said. “It kind of just faded away for me and I didn’t think I’d ever do it again.”

With more than 35 players registered, the team of coaches include men and women professional adaptive golfers.

Tracy Ramin, National Amputee Golf Association Executive Director and captain of the U.S. ParaGolf team, was among the representatives at the event.

Ramin was hit by a car on I-75 almost 25 years ago while trying to retrieve a ladder that fell from his truck, lost part of his left leg and said he had a 2% chance to live.

The Montrose resident and former Mt. Morris High School basketball player said things could have been worse.

“Some people have more challenges than others,” said Ramin, wearing a prosthetic leg. “I can’t dunk a basketball anymore.”

Ramin is a part of 38 different adaptive tour events around the country.

“It’s such a big deal to be here and to help out other people and it’s very humbling,” Ramin said.

David Aitken is diagnosed with transverse myelitis 14 years ago, an inflammation of part of the spinal cord. The exact cause is often not known, but it sometimes happens after infections or in people with autoimmune diseases, according to hopkinsmedicine.org.

Aitken is paralyzed from the waist down and does not usually play golf anymore.

“It’s a chance to try it out again,” he said.

The Grand Blanc resident started playing golf when he was in high school after his neighbor introduced him to the sport.

After his first swing Monday, the ball went about one yard — and the golf club went about 200 yards.

Aitken used to play about five times a week before the injury.

“It’s great for those of us that can’t play regularly,” he said of the opportunity.

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