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Taking the next step Martin hopes ruling will help his performance
EUGENE, Ore. (AP) -- To prove his point that riding a cart doesn't give him an edge over other golfers, Casey Martin simply lists his performance on the Buy.com Tour this season. "I've missed four out of eight cuts and made $5,000 this year, so if there's an advantage, I'd like to know where it is," he said Tuesday after the Supreme Court ruled Martin may ride a cart in PGA Tour events. The victory ended a 3 1/2-year battle between the PGA Tour and Martin, who was born with a degenerative condition in his right leg that makes it nearly impossible for him to walk an 18-hole course. But his struggle might just be beginning. Even with a cart, Martin has to prove himself again on the Buy.com Tour -- sort of the sport's minor league -- to become a regular on the PGA Tour. And he doesn't know how long his leg will allow him to compete. "It would be my wish, my prayer, that I would start playing great and I could look at this time and see a change in the way my golf game goes, but I don't think there is any guarantee that that is going to happen," he said. The Supreme Court voted 7-2 that the PGA Tour had to accommodate Martin's condition under the federal Americans with Disabilities Act. While the ruling was a setback for the Tour, which had been appealing the case since Martin won at the federal level in Oregon in 1998, commissioner Tim Finchem said he was pleased the Court indicated Martin's situation was unique, and that the ruling may not apply to other disabled athletes. "While we are happy for Casey Martin today, we are also happy that we got this straightened out, and it appears to be in a way that will allow us to maintain walking as part of golf at the professional championship level," Finchem said. Finchem phoned Martin himself Tuesday morning, waking him up as soon as Finchem learned of the ruling, and said, "You prevailed." "I feel relieved, and I'm grateful it's behind me," Martin said. "There's no guarantee that golf will be in my future forever, but I can always look back and know I prevailed through this." The PGA Tour had maintained that walking was an integral part of the game, and that it had the right to set its own rules. While Martin is liked by virtually everyone on tour, many golfers still think Tuesday's ruling doesn't bode well for the game and its tradition. "Walking six miles a day, six days a week is part of the deal," tour veteran Steve Pate said. "In sports, everybody brings their own strengths and weaknesses to the game and whoever can overcome their weaknesses and maximize their strengths is going to do well." Jack Nicklaus took issue with the justices' opinion that walking was not a fundamental part of the sport. "I think we ought to take them all out and play golf," Nicklaus said. "I think they'd change their minds. I promise you, it's fundamental." Other disabled golfers have sued sporting organizations, including Indiana club pro Ford Olinger, who sued the U.S. Golf Association. But neither Martin nor his attorney, Roy Reardon, believes other sports will be affected by Tuesday's ruling. "I don't see disabled athletes overtaking professional sports as we know it," Martin said. Martin, 28, has Klippel-Trenaunay-Weber Syndrome, a disorder than causes his veins to rupture and fill the cavities around his tibia with blood. He may eventually face amputation. Until 1997, when he sued the PGA Tour, Martin's most notable accomplishment was being a teammate of Tiger Woods' at Stanford. But Martin had talent in his own right, and his 1998 court victory sparked a series of strong performances. He qualified for the U.S. Open in 1998 and tied for 23rd, better than defending champion Ernie Els. He earned his PGA Tour card the next season by finishing 14th on the Nike Tour, the Buy.com's predecessor. But he struggled at golf's highest level, finishing the 2000 season 179th on the money list with $180,469, and missing the cut in 15 of 29 events. In December, on the final day of a qualifying tournament, Martin finished one stroke short of retaining his PGA Tour card. Back on the Buy.com Tour, Martin stands 115th, with a 34th-place tie his best showing. His agent said Martin will ask for sponsor's exemptions at a handful of PGA Tour events this year. "Just to have the weight off my shoulders is great," Martin said. "Hopefully, that'll carry over to the golf course and I'll start playing a little better." Martin said he prepared himself for the possibility the Supreme Court might rule against him. "I wouldn't have just lost my mind," he said. "I realize that golf is great, but it's not so great to give my entire life to it. So if it came down (against me), I'd be looking for a job. Want ads, baby."
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