D.J. Gregory encourages professional golfer Olin Browne at the Jeld-Wen Tradition. Gregory walked nine holes with Browne, who on Thursday was playing for Gregory’s charity.

SUNRIVER — Walk a mile in D.J. Gregory’s shoes. Better yet, 18 holes. If that still sounds too easy, try 3,256 holes.

That’s the distance Gregory, 32, walked in 2008. It’s a lot for anyone.

For Gregory, who suffers from cerebral palsy and walks with a cane, it’s downright difficult.

And he loved every minute of it.

On Thursday, Gregory was at the Jeld-Wen Tradition to do a little more walking, this time in support of professional golfer Olin Browne and for Gregory’s foundation, Walking for Kids.

A self-described sports nut, Gregory started playing golf at age 9 using a self-taught, one-handed swing; he attended his first tour event when he was 12.

“I just fell in love with the sport,” he said.

The Savannah, Ga., resident made it a habit of walking the courses and following players he admired; in 2006 Gregory wondered what it would be like to walk every event. He approached the PGA Tour brass in 2007 with the idea, and they agreed to help him out.

To be sure he could handle the terrain, the Tour had him walk two test tournaments in 2007.

“They made them back-to-back because they wanted to make sure I could handle two weeks in a row,” Gregory said.

He passed the test, and in 2008 walked 44 events in 45 weeks.

“It was great,” he said. “I loved it.”

For those playing along at home, that’s 3,256 holes. It’s 988 miles. It’s five pairs of shoes and 871 bottles of water, pop and sports drinks. But interestingly, not many complaints.

“There wasn’t a hard part. It was the best gig in the world,” Gregory said. “I got up every day, walked an incredible golf course and met incredible people.”

There were the challenges, including the early-morning tee times and inclement weather. But Gregory insists the walking wasn’t as difficult as it might look.

“No more than anyone else,” he said of the pain he felt while walking the tour. “Obviously it takes me more energy to walk. I burn a lot of energy. And I sweat a lot.”

The falls

Going uphill is easier for Gregory, because when he walks, his weight is in front of him. It’s the downhill that can be a challenge; sometimes his cane doesn’t get to where it needs to be as quickly as his body does. That’s often when the falls happen.

Gregory kept track of the number of falls he took because he likes to laugh at himself. In 2008, Gregory fell 29 times. Not bad; his goal was to hit the turf less than once per tournament.

“Through hard work, anything is possible,” Gregory said. “I didn’t do this journey for attention. I didn’t do it to be recognized. And I didn’t do it to inspire or motivate others. It was more for selfish reasons.”

During the 2008 tour events, Gregory wrote a blog about his experiences. Then he started doing speaking engagements and wrote a book, “Walking With Friends: An Inspirational Year on the PGA Tour.” Now he’s undertaking a new venture. In December, he started Walking for Kids, his foundation.

The foundation raises money for children’s charities, primarily by getting professionals to play a round for the charity. The player donates money for every birdie and eagle he hits; it’s up to the player how much he donates.

A friend on the green

In February, Jeld-Wen Vice President of Marketing Scott Whitmore called Gregory to discuss filming some commercial spots during The Tradition and The Players Championship. Whitmore had seen Gregory’s story on ESPN and wanted to feature him in commercials. That’s how he came to Oregon for the first time this week, and got the opportunity to follow Browne through nine holes on Thursday.

Browne, a 51-year-old who has earned more than $8.5 million on the PGA Tour and nearly $900,000 on the Champions Tour, is a good friend of Gregory’s, and the first player on the Champions Tour to walk for Gregory’s foundation.

At the first tee on Thursday, Browne and Gregory embraced and shared a laugh.

When Browne’s name was called to start his round, Gregory cheered.

“Let’s go, O.B.!” he yelled. Then it was time to start walking.

Gregory, clad in a red baseball cap, golf shirt and shorts, and golf shoes, tried to get a head start, but his jerky walk left him little time to stop and catch his breath. At the first green, Gregory stopped to watch Browne’s putt. Then he started moving again, headed to the tee box.

When he began his 2008 walk, the PGA would approach players to ask if Gregory could walk with them. Then it took on a life of its own.

“As the year went on, guys would ask me, ‘When are you going to follow me?’” he said. “They’d say, ‘When’s it my turn?’”

It quickly became clear his story moved people; Gregory said the ESPN piece has garnered more than 5 million hits, and people come up to him at golf tournaments all the time to chat.

To Browne, a guy like Gregory is easy to root for.

“He’s the ultimate underdog,” he said. “It’s easy to admire a guy like him. The pain he goes through, the stuff at night with the cramps and the discomfort, the falls. It’s easy to admire a person who has the tenacity to go out and do this.

“His friendship is something we all value.”

For more information on D.J. Gregory’s foundation Walking for Kids, go to www.walkingforkids.org.