The Simpson Cup has a knack for unearthing individuals who've overcome unimaginable challenges and immense odds, and this year is no exception. In the class of 2023, Team USA's Jesse Williamson fits the bill in spades. 

The double amputee will be representing his country at Royal Lytham and St Annes for a third time in this event, and the story of how he got here is nothing short of awe-inspiring. 

During his formative years in Washington, he established himself as a fine baseball and football player, with a penchant for dirt bikes too. Although his sporting activities were many, golf didn't feature on the list. As he reflects with a grin, "I used to think it was one of the most boring sports out there!" More on that later. 

As adulthood approached, Williamson found himself feeling restless, and eager to fly the nest of his hometown bubble. That's when he decided to join the Marines. 

"There's a whole world out there, and I always wanted to be part of something bigger," the 34-year old recalled. "I'd always looked up to those who put themselves forward for military service, but it was the Marine Corps that really got my juices flowing. The idea of being a Marine both excited and scared me in equal measure, but when I turned 18, I was ready to sign up." 

Sign up he did, and within 10 days he found himself at boot camp in San Diego. Thereafter, he cut his teeth at the School of Infantry in Camp Pendleton, and then Kaneohe Bay in Hawaii - before later being deployed to the battlefields of Afghanistan. But, just three-and-a-half months into the tour, disaster struck, and his life would be forever changed. 

"One of our men from a sister platoon was killed, and when another squad from their platoon got hit and were combat ineffective, we got the call to go over there," Williamson recounts ruefully. "Because of the distance, we had to take vehicles, so the Taliban would have seen us leave. 

"They planted remote-detonator IEDs, and our Humvee went over one. I was flung 60 feet in the air - but I was really lucky to survive. The four guys who were in the Humvee with me didn’t make it. Not a day goes by when I don't think about them and their families." 

Williamson may have been fortunate to escape with his life, but his injuries were incredibly severe. Despite the best efforts from various medical teams to do limb salvage, his first leg amputation happened eight months after the blast. Eighteen months later, it was determined that his other leg couldn't be saved either. 

"I just remember feeling so numb about everything," he lamented. "It was clear that my quality of life would be better as a result of the amputations, so I just kind of went with it. But I didn't really process it at all - it was a dark time for me." 

Things started to go badly awry for Williamson during his rehabilitation. He became addicted to the opioid painkillers he was taking, and spent the best part of three years abusing drugs and alcohol. His first trip to rehab was unsuccessful too. But the second stint - this time an extensive nine-month program - got him clean. It's now been seven years since he last used. 

"I was just trying to find ways to cope after I lost my legs, but they were all the wrong ways," Williamson explained. "Eventually I got to the point where I thought to myself 'Is this really how I want to live the rest of my life?' I was also really lucky to have such great support around me, including those who were in the facility with me." 

One such buddy, who was also in the program, suggested he try his hand at golf, and Williamson suddenly found something that gave him the purpose he longed for. 

"I surprised myself how much I took to the game - I just couldn't get enough of it. We were playing every day," he smiled. 

Incredibly, in the years to come, Williamson was able to get his handicap down to five, spending time at the Golf Academy of America and the Professional Golfers Career College, before eventually enrolling at the University of Arizona - where he helped to pioneer an adaptive golf program.



Such roads, quite naturally, led him to On Course Foundation (OCF), and it's clear how much the organization means to him. 

"I first heard about OCF from Jake (Nelson, also in Team USA), and I wasted no time in getting down to their events," the now-California resident said. "It's done so much for me - both directly and indirectly. It's helped to restore stability and confidence in my life, and it's a way to get that camaraderie I miss from my time in the Marines." 

He continued: "I feel like I've come a long way, and am on track to have my degree in Criminal Justice by 2025. I've also got just one semester left on my PGA Management course. And OCF has played a significant role in helping me accomplish these goals - it all plays together really." 

Of course, there's the small matter of regaining the Simpson Cup in September, and, for Williamson, this is understandably the high point of his year. His debut at St Andrews Links was a chastening experience - in his words ‘I got my butt kicked’. But it was at the Creek in 2021 where he showed his steel - coming from behind in both matches to go 2 and 0. Little wonder then that he got the nod as a captain's pick for next month’s showpiece. 

"I can't tell you how thrilled I was to get the call from Marty (Caraway) that I was going to Lytham," Williamson beamed. "It is just an unbelievable experience, and I can't wait to reconnect with old friends from both my team, and the Brits too. I know we’re going to make more great memories, just like my first two Simpson Cups. 

"That said, having both won and lost, I know which was more fun! So I'll be playing as hard as I can, hoping to get the points my team needs to bring that trophy back to the States." 

Given Williamson's propensity for rising to the challenge, who'd bet against him?