Casey Martin rides again in U.S. Open
Jun 12, 2012, 6:06 AM | Updated: 12:19 pm
Walking 18 holes of golf is no easy feat. In fact, my feet often ache as I trudge up the fairways and hills of the back nine.
Imagine the pain Casey Martin feels every time he limps around a golf course.
Martin is the Oregon native who sued and beat the PGA Tour for the right to ride in a golf cart. His history-making round took place at the U.S. Open in San Francisco 14 years ago. Martin makes a surprise return to the Olympic Club again this week.
Martin, 40, suffers from a rare circulatory disorder in his right leg. Walking a golf course could shatter the bone. Doctors have told him he will likely have it amputated.
“I’m at the point where I didn’t know whether I would ever really be able to keep my leg,” Martin told reporters after his U.S. Open practice round on Monday.
“It’s not great. When I wake up, I feel it. When I get out of the golf cart, I feel it.”
Golf legends Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus were among those who backed PGA Commissioner Tim Finchem in his four-year legal battle to prevent Martin from using a cart in tournaments. They feared players with limited disabilities would have an unfair advantage.
Martin wishes they supported him, but has moved on from the controversial ruling.
“I don’t have ill will against the tour or Tim Finchem at all,” he said. “I look back and say thanks in a sort of way. Because when you have that tension and drama, it makes for a great story. It’s made me, in a sense, who I am today.”
Who Casey Martin is today is the golf coach at the University of Oregon. The only competition he’s had over the past six years was an occasional game with the Ducks players or a charity event.
Last week Martin claimed one of two spots in a U.S. Open sectional qualifier in Creswell, Ore. Luck was on his side. He nearly lost his golf ball when, ironically, another cart ran over it.
Martin found the ball in time, knocked it short of the green and chipped in from 30 yards for a birdie. He was on his way back to San Francisco for another try at golf’s true national championship.
The U.S. Open is all about opportunities for players of all ages and abilities. While Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson and Rory McIlroy will grab much of the attention this week, I’ll be pulling for Casey Martin and his cart.
