Two Calgarians bound for the Vision Cup at TPC Sawgrass

Legally blind Calgary golfers Vision Cup-bound Kiefer Jones and Derek Kibblewhite will live out a dream when they play in the Vision Cup at TPC Sawgrass in Florida. Glenn Campbell reports.

Kiefer Jones' life changed just before his 16^th birthday.  He was living in Mexico and had an upper-respiratory virus attack his optic nerves.

He went from having 20/20 vision to 20/800.

Derek Kibblewhite started to lose his vision when he was 11-years-old due to a genetic eye disease.

Despite losing their vision, both found solace in the game of golf.  Both are legally blind but still have silky smooth golf swings. Starting Sept.18, they'll live out a dream when they play in the Vision Cup at TPC Sawgrass in Florida, home of the PGA Tour Players Championship.

Jones said it's going to be a thrill to take on Sawgrass.

"I've been a big fan of the Players Championship," the 32-year-old said.

"You know every year it’s the same course and we've watched it on T.V. and I've always want to play it, so I'm really excited to get out and go play that course and do it in competition."

Kibblewhite can also hardly wait to set his spikes on the fairways at TPC Sawgrass.

"To be able to play that 17^th hole is just going to be something out of this world," the 37-year-old said.

"The fact that we can do that in a competitive format and play against some of the other best players in the world is just going to be a huge thing."

The Vision Cup is like the Ryder Cup for blind golfers.  It pits the 12 best players from North America against the 12 best from the rest of the world.

Kibblewhite said he's competing in the B2 Division.

"I have 2400 vision so that would be in the middle range," Kibblewhite said.  "The B1 would be your totally blind folks and then it would be myself as a B2."

Jones has the highest level of vision so he will compete in the B3 division.

"Myself, I have 20 over 250," he said.

"Basically as long as you're legally blind being 20 over 200 you fit into the B3 category," he added.  "Anything less than that and you're in the other two categories."

GUIDE DAD

Kibblewhite can't see the ball take off or land so he uses his dad Chris Chambers as his guide.

Despite having better vision, Jones also needs to use a guide because it's tough to see anything beyond 30 yards.

Jones said the fact that two of the 12 players on Team North America are from Calgary is rather amazing.

"I think it's a pretty cool accomplishment to have two players from Calgary on the same team of only 12 players," he said.

Kibblewhite agreed, adding that fans will have to follow them when they head to TPC Sawgrass.

"Feel free to follow us and cheer us on too.  Everything is going to be posted on the Vision Cup on our Facebook website so you know - root us on!"

The Vision Cup takes place Sept. 18-23.