Amy Bockerstette to become first person with Down syndrome to compete in college national championship

Amy Bockerstette will make history later this month as she becomes the first person with Down syndrome to compete in a national collegiate athletic championship, the NJCAA golf national championship. The event is set to take place in Ormond Beach, Florida at Plantation Bay Golf & Country Club.

The 22-year-old is a sophomore at Paradise Valley Community College in Phoenix, and is no stranger to making history. Upon entering Paradise Valley, she was the first person with Down syndrome to earn a college athletic scholarship. She’ll be attending the tournament through May 13.

Bockerstette might be a familiar name and face to some as she has been a viral sensation in the past. Back in 2019, she famously made par on the 16th hole at TPC Scottsdale while playing alongside PGA Tour player Gary Woodland. Part of the charm was how she told everyone watching “I got this” before sinking a putt.

The confident comment spawned the I Got This Foundation, an organization created by Bockerstette and her family that helps provide golf instruction and opportunities to play the sport for people with developmental and intellectual disabilities.