Medicine Hat's Whitson tied for second at All Abilities golf championship
Derek Whitson shot a two-over 74 in the opening round at Hylands Golf Club in Ottawa, trailing the leader by three shots.
Derek Whitson of Medicine Hat is tied for second place after the first round of the 2026 Canadian All Abilities Golf Championship, being held Aug. 5-7 at Hylands Golf Club in Ottawa. Whitson carded a two-over-par 74 on Wednesday, matching the score of defending champion Josh Williams of Tavistock, Ont. Leader Josh Hunke shot a one-under-par 71.
The championship, first held in 2021, brings together 66 players competing over 54 holes in both Gross Stroke Play and Net Stableford formats. Athletes compete in divisions based on the European Disabled Golf Association Sport Class, covering sitting, standing, intellectual and visual categories, with both men's and women's gross and net competitions.
Whitson, 37, was born with cerebral palsy and is originally from Chatham, Ont. Before turning to competitive golf, he played for the Canadian Sledge Hockey Team, winning Paralympic bronze in 2014 and World Championship gold in 2013 and silver in 2015.
Whitson played on the Medicine Hat College Rattlers golf team while completing his education degree and now teaches at St. Francis Xavier School in Medicine Hat. He remains active with Medicine Hat Adaptive Sport and Recreation, where his wife, Tara Chisholm, serves as program coordinator.
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