Tyngsboro Golfer Returns to the National Stage Looking for Gold in Seattle

Tyler Lagasse of Tyngsboro will be the lone golfer from Massachusetts heading to the 2018 Special Olympics USA Games in Seattle, WA. As a high level competitor, Tyler qualified to compete in the elite athlete division at Willows Run Golf Club.

Tyler, a Special Olympics Massachusetts Hall of Famer,  has been golfing since 2003 and his dedication to the sport have paid dividends. Tyler has been selected multiple times to participate in the Special Olympics Pro-Am tournament outside Washington D.C., he has competed at the National Level and won silver medals in the highest division of Special Olympics golf, in 2017 he scored a personal best 70 (even par on 18 holes), and he has used his confidence gained on the golf course to improve his public speaking as a Special Olympics Global Messenger.

In the summer of 2017, Tyler was chosen to receive an Honorary ESPY award from ESPN in celebration of Tyler's ongoing commitment to sports excellence and his inspirational story that he and his mother shared in the book the co-authored called What Do You Say? Autism with Character. It also happens that Tyler was an intern with Special Olympics Massachusetts when he found out about the award!

Once he learned that he would be heading to USA Games, he was tapped to help announce the rest of the delegation along with powerlifter, Joe Morrill at and event hosted by Bank of America in Boston. In case you missed it, you can watch the announcement on our YouTube channel.

In the Fall of 2017, Tyler was approached by the JFK library to participate in the TEDx Beacon Street event being held at the Library as part of the year-long JFK 100 celebration. Tyler highlighted how the Kennedy family was at least partially to thank for his success because of their commitment to support individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Highlighting that, while people with Autism may be differently abled, they are certainly worth getting to know, Tyler pointed out,

''The next time you meet someone like me, just remember that we have more in common than you might imagine. It's just that we're a little more sensitive to certain things. After all, we might just become the best of friends.'�

To maintain his commitment to high standards, Tyler has taken the Ski season off to focus on his golf game. The goal is a first ever USA Games Gold medal. Please join Special Olympics Massachusetts in cheering for Tyler and wishing him the best of Luck!

‍Please consider supporting Tyler and Team Massachusetts today!