Gregory to speak at MCC’s Lou Hart Invitational Banquet

By Daniel Rigdon / Sports Writer
The Meridian Star





MERIDIAN — More than 60 junior college golfers and coaches will be in for a touching treat on Monday night as D.J. Gregory will be speaking at the 3rd annual Lou Hart Invitational Banquet in the Dulaney room of Webb Hall on the Meridian Community College Campus.

Gregory, who was featured in 2008 in the ESPN E:60 feature "Walk On", was born with cerebral palsy, underdeveloped lungs and tangled legs. He was told he would never walk. He could only crawl around his house for the first few years of his life.

Be that as it may, five surgeries before he entered the first grade enabled him to learn to walk with a cane.

"I met him (Gregory) in December at Shell Landing Golf Club," said MCC golf coach Sean Covich. "I just started talking to him because I had seen his stuff on ESPN and the Golf Channel and it was an awesome story. I asked him if he speaks at events and he said, 'Yeah, I go around the country when I'm not at tour events and give talks.'

"I asked him if he would come to the Lou Hart and he said yes."

Gregory picked up golf at the age of 9 and developed a love for the sport. So much in fact that he set a goal of walking every hole of every tournament on the PGA tour in 2008. That's 44 tournaments in 45 weeks.

More than 3,200 holes and 988 miles of walking later he accomplished his goal all the while following different players during their rounds and writing about it in a blog.

He will be sharing his story in full at the banquet in hopes of inspiring and encouraging what could be future tour players.

"Hopefully his story will inspire the players and also let them know no to take things for granted," added Covich. "Being a college golfer or athlete, you can kind of do that some times. D.J. has been able to use his disability to inspire others. Hopefully he will also give the players a good perspective too."

Gregory will be out at the tournament, which is hosted at Northwood Country Club, on both Monday and Tuesday before heading out to Augusta, Ga., on Wednesday for the Masters.

Covich thinks it will be a good experience for the players to talk with Gregory and get some insight into how things are on the tour and what the players are like.

"There are going to be around 60 players here this week and some of these guys are going to play SEC golf and Division I golf and hopefully eventually make it to the tour," said Covich. "It will be cool when they get to the tour and remember what D.J. told them so that they can give back and influence others. That's his message, don't let anyone stop you and always give back.

"Plus he's been out there on tour so he can give us some pointers on how these tour players practice and how they treat other people. What they are really like off and on the golf course."

Along with continuing to follow every tournament, Gregory also runs the website www.walkingforkids.org. The website is set up to help kids with disabilities that enjoy sports. You can also follow the website on facebook at www.facebook.com/walkingforkids.

Numerous tour professionals contribute to Gregory's charity.