92 Golfers, $96,000, and One Scratch Golfer’s Story: Inside the 2026 Ability Am

The greens at Cedar Point Club were in perfect shape on the morning of May 14, 2026. By the time the last putt dropped, the day had produced something far more significant than a leaderboard.

VersAbility Resources’ annual Ability Am Golf Tournament drew 23 teams and 92 golfers to the Suffolk course, raising nearly $96,000 to support employment services, day support programs, and community engagement opportunities for individuals of all abilities across Hampton Roads.

It was, by every measure, another successful tournament. But the numbers don’t capture the full picture.

A Partnership Built Over Time

The Ability Am doesn’t happen without Wayne MacMasters. The presenting sponsor has backed the tournament since its first year, and his continued investment has shaped not only the event’s financial foundation but its culture. His presence each year signals something to every golfer and volunteer who shows up: this is worth your time.

“Unwavering” is the word VersAbility uses to describe MacMasters’ support. It shows.

On the Other Side of the Ropes

While competitive golfers worked through their rounds, a different kind of game was being played nearby.

Thirty-four participants from VersAbility programs joined six First Tee instructors for an inclusive golf experience that has quietly become one of the tournament’s most anticipated traditions. The partnership, now in its second year of expanded participation, centers less on technique and more on what the game can offer someone who’s never held a club before: structure, confidence, and the particular satisfaction of making contact with a ball and watching it fly.

The instructors were patient. The participants were enthusiastic. And by every account from those on the ground, the smiles were plentiful.

The Story of Zane Sanford

If the tournament had an MVP this year, the case could be made for Zane Sanford — though he might deflect the attention.

Sanford joined VersAbility’s Government Contracts program in August 2023 as a General Laborer. He has since been promoted to Team Leader. He is also, it turns out, a scratch golfer — a distinction that puts him in rare company anywhere, let alone on a course where his organization celebrated him in front of sponsors and peers.

The recognition didn’t stop there. Sanford was recently named a finalist for a statewide self-advocacy award, finishing second among nominees from across Virginia.

His trajectory — from new hire to team leader to award finalist, all within three years — is exactly the kind of outcome VersAbility points to when making the case for what sustained support and meaningful employment can do.

What the Money Does

The $96,000 raised will move through VersAbility’s programs in ways that don’t always make for easy storytelling: job coaching, transportation coordination, benefits counseling, day program staffing. The infrastructure, in other words, that makes independence possible.

Looking Ahead

VersAbility is already looking toward next year’s tournament. The First Tee partnership is expected to grow. The competitive field will return. And somewhere in the mix, there will be another story like Zane Sanford’s — someone whose progress the broader community hasn’t yet had the chance to see.

That, more than anything, is what the Ability Am is built around.