Winning touch: Williamson County Special Olympics athletes advance to state tournament

Anika Exum, Nashville Tennessean
·1 min read
Thom Bosse (left), Connor Bosse, Matthew Drumright, and Richard Drumright pose together after placing first and second in Unified 9-Hole Golf in the Special Olympics Middle Tennessee Golf Regional at Old Fort Golf Club in Murfreesboro on Monday, Aug. 15, 2022.
Thom Bosse (left), Connor Bosse, Matthew Drumright, and Richard Drumright pose together after placing first and second in Unified 9-Hole Golf in the Special Olympics Middle Tennessee Golf Regional at Old Fort Golf Club in Murfreesboro on Monday, Aug. 15, 2022.

The 2022 Special Olympics Middle Tennessee Golf Regional took place on Aug. 15 and two pairs of Williamson County athletes won big.

In Unified 9-hole golf, Connor and Thom Bosse of Franklin placed first with a score of 86, while Matthew and Richard Drumright of Brentwood placed second with a score of 94 during the competition at Old Fort Golf Club in Murfreesboro.

Both pairs have secured spots in the state tournament to take place in Smyrna next month.

"Seeing the intensity and true spirit of competition that our athletes bring with them is what makes every event we host worth it," Special Olympics Tennessee President Adam Germek said following the event.

Unified Golf requires athletes to play alternately with partners. The duo alternates who tees off at the start of each hole and alternates strokes with one ball until it reaches the hole.

Unified sports promote inclusion through not only shared competitions but training experiences between athletes with and without disabilities, according to Special Olympics Tennessee.

Matthew Drumright prepares to take a swing during a game of Unified 9-Hole Golf during the Special Olympics Tennessee Golf Regional at Old Fort Golf Club in Murfreesboro on Monday, Aug. 15, 2022.
Matthew Drumright prepares to take a swing during a game of Unified 9-Hole Golf during the Special Olympics Tennessee Golf Regional at Old Fort Golf Club in Murfreesboro on Monday, Aug. 15, 2022.

Alongside the unified 9-hole event, Special Olympics Tennessee golf tournaments also include skills, individual 9-hole, unified 18-hole, and individual 18-hole competitions.

More: Nolensnville's Bethany Stineman wins gold at Special Olympics and a big welcome home

Special Olympics Tennessee offers 17-sports and covers 36 areas throughout the state, including Nashville, as well as Maury and Rutherford counties. The state golf tournament will take place Sept. 19 at  the Smyrna Golf Course.

To learn more about Special Olympics Tennessee, visit https://www.specialolympicstn.org/.

Anika Exum is a reporter covering Williamson County for The Tennessean, part of the USA Today Network — Tennessee. Reach her at aexum@tennessean.com, 615-347-7313, or on Twitter @aniexum.

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This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Williamson County Special Olympics athletes advance to state tourney