This summer, I am once again interning for the Doug Flutie Jr. Foundation for Autism. For the first time in its 26-year history, the Foundation recently launched its very own sports league. The STARS of the Spectrum Golf Tour is a new golf tour open to any autistic golfer with a USGA handicap!

This tour opens up opportunities for golfers on the spectrum to compete in-person and remotely multiple times per year for prizes including scholarships to pursue their golf-related goals. Additionally, all golfers have the unique opportunity to give back to their local autism communities through their participation in the tour. The Flutie Foundation makes donations to local autism-related organizations on behalf of the golfers.

As a Flutie Foundation intern, I am involved in the logistics and coverage of this tour, and this article will kick off coverage of the next tournament, which will take place in-person at Granite Links in Quincy, MA on August 1, 2024.

Keep reading below for an overview of where the golfers currently stand within our season-long leaderboard, a look at the course, profiles of each golfer, and more information about this upcoming event.

Tournament 1 Recap/The Leaderboard

There are a total of 11 golfers in the STARS of the Spectrum Golf Tour thus far: Anthony Adelizzi, Carter Bonas, Thomas Cleek, Peter Condon, Vincent Egan, Matthew Glumac, Ian Kelley, Scott Klumb, Tyler Lagasse, Ryan Lewis, and Daniel Steele.

8 golfers attended the first tournament of the 2024 season in January at the Ritz-Carlton in Orlando, Florida. Golfers were scored based on net strokes, which took their handicaps at the time into account. Below were the results of that tournament:

As seen above, Thomas Cleek just barely beat out Tyler Lagasse for the win in January, with Peter Condon not far behind. Cleek, Lagasse, and Condon all received trophies and prize money of various amounts for placing top 3.

Golfers are also competing for a season-long title, and are awarded points towards that title after every tournament. Just like golf scores, the lower the number of points a golfer has, the better their placement within the leaderboard. Points are distributed in two categories after each tournament, each on a scale of 1-10. Rank-based points reward golfers for their ranking at a tournament, with 1st place receiving 1, 2nd place receiving 2, etc. Golfers who cannot make a tournament in-person are considered to be tied for last in rank-based points. In this case, Anthony Adelizzi and Matt Glumac each received 9.5 rank-based points due to the two way tie for 9th.

However, Adelizzi and Glumac had the opportunity to submit scores for score-based points. This category puts remotely submitted scores on a scale with scores from the in-person tournament using course rating. Various ranges of strokes over or under the course rating qualify for various amounts of points, with the best scores receiving a 1, and the worst receiving a 10.

As Daniel Steele joined the tour midway through this season, he will be eligible for tournament-specific prizes right away, but will not be eligible for season-long awards until the 2025 season.

The rank-based points and score-based points each golfer received from the first tournament were added up to form the first edition of this year’s season-long leaderboard. The handicaps reflected on this leaderboard are the golfers’ updated handicaps that will be used for the tournament in Quincy. This leaderboard will be updated when more points are distributed following the Quincy tournament.

Cleek, Lagasse, and Condon maintain their top 3 placements on the season-long leaderboard due to a strong combination of rank-based and score-based points. However, Adelizzi and Glumac slot in right behind them, as they each shot below a 75 in the scores they submitted. The season-long title is still very much up for grabs, and this upcoming tournament will make a big impact on who wins it.

The Course: Granite Links in Quincy, MA

Photo via golfpass.com

Granite Links is a facility in Quincy, MA that includes 27 golf holes divided into 3 sets of 9: the Granite 9, the Milton 9, and the Quincy 9. STARS of the Spectrum golfers will start with the Quincy 9 and finish off their day with the Granite 9 (pictured above).

The Quincy 9 is a par 35 nine, with many uphill and downhill sloped holes, and plenty of beautiful views.

The Granite 9 contains slightly less hills but more hazards, as its holes reside close to a couple of ponds on the grounds. One of these ponds is a very prevalent part of an otherwise straightforward par 3 on the course. These 9 total to a par of 36.

The Granite Links website describes its course as “sparse of trees and rich in wind.” Lagasse gave his take on the course after playing on it two years ago.

“Granite Links is a generally wide open course, you basically can let it rip anywhere,” Lagasse said. “You’re free to take risks, you’re free to go for the green, if you see a chance you have to take it.”

Klumb has never played on the course, but looks forward to his first time on it.

“When I was in Florida, it was difficult for me because it was a completely different kind of grass than what I’m used to, and the course in Boston looks very similar to what I play out here in Colorado,” Klumb said.

For more info on the holes, see this scorecard template below:

Additionally, here’s a layout of the entire facility as shown on the Granite Links website:

Golfer Profiles

While Matt Glumac will not be able to make it to Massachusetts this August, 10 of the tour’s 11 golfers are confirmed to be attending the tournament in Quincy. Read below for more on each of the golfers who are confirmed to attend.

Thomas Cleek

State: Missouri

Handicap: 0.3

Current Season-Long Leaderboard Placement: 1st

Cleek is a Special Olympic golfer with a history of competition against many of these golfers, including Lagasse and Condon. At the 2018 USA Games, Cleek finished tied for 4th in the top division of golfers, tied with Brock Aoki and behind Condon, Lagasse, and Scott Rohrer.

Cleek has continued to improve his golf game over the years, and is now a scratch golfer. Cleek won 2024’s first STARS of the Spectrum Golf Tour event over Lagasse and Condon.

In the months since that tournament, Cleek says he has been working on his decision making off the tee and his iron game among many other things. Cleek got into PGA Golf School and is working towards playing in a professional golf event and pursuing a career in golf. He is also looking forward to competing once again with Lagasse, Condon, and the other golfers.

“I am just going to have fun, play my game, and let the score take care of itself. But really looking to competing against Tyler and Peter again it is fun!”

Tyler Lagasse

State: Massachusetts

Handicap: 5

Current Season-Long Leaderboard Placement: 2nd

Lagasse is a longtime Special Olympics golfer and is among the best Special Olympics golfers in the country. After three consecutive USA Games silver medals in 2010, 2014, and 2018, Lagasse won the USA Games gold medal in 2022, which he still considers one of his biggest golf accomplishments.

Lagasse placed second behind Cleek at the first tournament, but unlike Cleek and the other golfers, he has played at Granite Links before. He is looking forward to playing in his home state.

While Lagasse did start a new job in April, he has tried his best to golf at least once a week and recently shot a 32 in a 9-hole outing.

“I was hitting the golf ball with my irons as good as I ever have, especially my 4-iron,” Lagasse said.

Lagasse was in close competition with Cleek and Condon at the last STARS Golf tournament. He is approaching this rematch with a focus on each individual shot as opposed to worrying about the bigger picture.

“[I’m just going to] play my game, try to take it one shot at a time, keep the ball in play, and try not to overdo it as much,” Lagasse said.

Lagasse noted how this tournament will be taking place during the same time frame as Paris Olympic golf, and emphasized the significance of that to the autism community.

“While [the best in the world] golf for a gold medal, we’re golfing for autism… to show the world that we matter,” Lagasse said. “Thursday is the tournament and Saturday is the concert, and it’s basically a showcase of what we on the autism spectrum can do as opposed to what we can’t do.”

Peter Condon

State: Washington

Handicap: 6

Current Season-Long Leaderboard Placement: 3rd

Condon has been playing golf since 2006 and has competed alongside many of these golfers. Condon tied for the silver medal with Lagasse at the 2018 USA Games in his home state of Washington, and was right behind Lagasse and Glumac for the bronze at the 2022 USA Games.

He also holds a top 3 spot on the current STARS of the Spectrum Golf leaderboard. He has consistently shown that he can compete with the best golfers in the tour, and should be in the mix for the win at this tournament as well.

Anthony Adelizzi

State: Massachusetts

Handicap: 6

Current Season-Long Leaderboard Placement: T-4th

After shooting a 74 remotely in place of the first 2024 tournament, Adelizzi will have the chance to join the competition in-person for the first time this season.

“I’m very honored to be there, and I think it will be a great time,” Adelizzi said.

Adelizzi says performances in the 70’s, like the score he submitted, are common for him in 18 hole outings. He feels confident he can compete with the best right away.

Adelizzi took a break from golf when he injured his back from contact sports, but since returning to the golf course, his game has returned to form. Adelizzi recently shot under par in a recent 9 hole outing.

Adelizzi passed the PGA Player Ability Test (PAT) and is going for a Golf Management degree.

Scott Klumb

State: Colorado

Handicap: 17.7

Current Season-Long Leaderboard Placement: 6th

While his primary career is in film, Klumb has been golfing for a large part of his life. Like Lagasse, he has two holes-in-one all time. In addition to joining the golf tour, he has been one of the co-hosts of the STARS Connect podcast.

Klumb injured his elbow in a ski incident in March, but has gotten back on the golf course in recent months and has regained the strength and endurance to play 18 holes. He played 54 holes in 3 days over the 4th of July weekend.

Klumb is looking forward to playing at Granite Links, as the grass is more similar to Colorado grass than the grass at the Ritz-Carlton in Florida, where the tournament in January took place.

“I’ve never played at Granite Links, but looking at the pictures, with the rolling hills and stunning views, it looks like an amazing course,” Klumb said.

In addition, Klumb is looking to improve upon his approach shots, as he is already a strong putter and wants to make it to the green in less strokes.

“This summer, I’ve really just been working on nailing down my aim [on shots within 150 yards of the green],” Klumb said. “I have the distance to reach the greens but oftentimes I’m just off by a few yards and that changes everything. So if I can get on 7-9 greens in regulation that would help my game drastically.”

Most of all, Klumb is excited to be out on the course with friends and his wife Sara, who will be serving as his +1/caddy. Klumb taught her the game of golf around 3 years ago. In addition, he’s excited to see his friend and podcast co-host Jennifer Msumba, who will be performing music at closing ceremonies.

Carter Bonas

State: Florida

Handicap: 21

Current Season-Long Leaderboard Placement: T-7th

Bonas may be the tour’s youngest golfer, but that has not stopped him from competing with the rest.

“Playing with people that are older than me is cool because I am able to play at their level at my age,” Bonas said. “Sometimes it feels a bit weird playing with older people but I don’t let that stop me. I’m used to playing with older people at the Country Club of Coral Springs with my coach; I think this helps to make the experience feel more natural.”

Bonas won the Sports Illustrated SportsKid of the Year after his success on the golf course from a young age. Since becoming SportsKid of the Year, he has become involved in this league and started his own charity golf tournament that will be an annual event every Autism Awareness Month.

Bonas is excited about all the people (and animals) he’ll see on the course.

“I’m looking forward to seeing some of my old friends and meeting new people,” Bonas said. “I want to give the event my all and can’t wait for it.”

Ian Kelley

Kelley met many of the golfers that are currently a part of this tour when he attended his first USA Games in 2022. Before those USA Games, Kelley worked with John Brown, one of just 352 PGA professionals. Brown saw massive upside in his game.

Kelley delivered on that upside when he consistently scored between 80 and 90 per 18 holes at the Games and won a Level 5 Division 3 Gold Medal. 

Kelley will look to improve upon his net score of 94 from the first STARS Golf tournament in January.

Vincent Egan

State: Colorado

Handicap: 11

Current Season-Long Leaderboard Placement: 9th

Egan has competed against many of these golfers not only at the first STARS Golf tournament, but also at the 2022 USA Games. He is a multi-sport Special Olympian, including alpine skiing at the 2017 World Games. Other sports have helped him stay in good physical and mental shape for golf.

“It keeps my mind at peace with golf, keeping my stress down, always keeping myself ready,” Egan said.

Egan was not too far behind the trio of Lagasse, Glumac, and Condon when he competed at the 2022 USA Games, and finished 9 net strokes behind Condon at the tournament in January. Since then, he says he has continued to work on his confidence on the golf course.

“It’s encouraged me to do even better watching the other players,” Egan said.

Egan also enjoyed meeting all the other golfers, and is excited to see them again.

“I felt like I was included, having fun, and meeting new friends,” Egan said. “I have developed a great friendship with Thomas Cleek. He’s a great golfer and one day I’m going to beat him.”

In fact, Egan and Cleek have a bet that whoever does not win between the two of them at August tournament will buy the other a beer. Place your bets everyone!

Ryan Lewis

State: Massachusetts

Handicap: 25

Current Season-Long Leaderboard Placement: 10th

Lewis is a multi-sport Special Olympian in addition to playing golf. When he started playing golf, he said he was using an ice hockey grip on his clubs, but he has worked on this since the first STARS of the Spectrum Golf Tournament.

“My dad showed me the right grip now and my driving is much better,” Lewis said.

Lewis is looking forward to getting back out on the course with all the other golfers and having fun.

“I had Scott [Klumb] helping me out and Nick [Savarese] and it made me feel welcome right from the start,” Lewis said.

Daniel Steele

State: Florida

Handicap: 22

Current Season-Long Leaderboard Placement: N/A (first eligible for season-long awards in 2025)

Daniel Steele is the newest member of the STARS of the Spectrum Golf Tour. The tournament in Quincy will be his first STARS Golf tournament. However, Steele has played golf for a few years now and competed in the 9-hole competition at the 2022 USA Games.

Most recently, Steele has been working on his short game. Him and his dad recently spent 3 hours practicing putts.

Steele is excited to meet new people and represent the autism community.

“I’m excited to show the world that people with autism can do anything,” Steele said.

Tentative Schedule

7:30-7:45 am: Golfer check in

7:45-8:15 am: Warm up 

8:15-8:30 am: Opening ceremonies

8:30 am: First group tees off: Anthony Adelizzi, Carter Bonas, Ian Kelley

8:40 am: Second group tees off: Scott Klumb, Vincent Egan, Ryan Lewis, Daniel Steele

8:50 am: Third group tees off: Thomas Cleek, Tyler Lagasse, Peter Condon

Whenever all groups finish (1:00-2:00 pm ish): Final picture at hole 18

7:00 pm: Closing ceremonies at Six Strings Patriot Place

Prizes at Stake

The overall tournament champion will win a trophy belt from TrophySmack, similar to the one used for the Flutie Foundation Fantasy Football League pictured below:

There will be wooden trophies and prize money given out to 2nd and 3rd place. Additional wooden trophies will be awarded to the golfer with the lowest amount of total strokes (regardless of handicap) in each tee group.

With lots of prizes at stake, we’re in for a competitive round of golf.

Stay tuned for more coverage!

This is only the beginning of my coverage of the STARS of the Spectrum Golf Tournament in Quincy. The tournament is approaching fast, and I’ll be posting at the start of August about the tournament and the STARS of the Spectrum Music Festival taking place that weekend. In the meantime, who do you think will come out victorious from this competitive group of golfers? Comment with your predictions.