For two years, Casey Martin has been playing golf on the Nike Tour, honing his game so he could someday join the best players in the world on the PGA Tour. "That's been a goal of mine all my life," Martin says.
Last fall, he finished the season 14th on the Nike money list, earning him a PGA card. But Martin, '94, may never make it there. He was born with a rare circulatory disorder that is causing his right leg to deteriorate. He can still smash the ball with punishing force, but pain and fatigue keep him from being able to play full days without a golf cart -- and PGA Tour rules require players to walk the entire course.
In 1997, Martin used the Americans with Disabilities Act to sue the PGA for the right to use a golf cart ("The Drive to Win," May/June 1998). A federal judge ruled in his favor, but the PGA has appealed that decision to the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals. A ruling is expected soon. "I'm trusting the court won't take away my right to ride," Martin says.
If he does lose, appeal to the Supreme Court is the next step, and Martin says he'll take it: "I'm fighting and scrapping." He may be able to get an injunction allowing him to use a cart while the appeal is pending. Barring that, Martin could take a medical leave and return to the tour in 2001 -- if his leg holds out. He's undergoing radical treatment, including chemical injections, but so far hasn't found relief. Eventually, doctors say, his leg may need to be amputated.
Despite the uncertainty about his future, Martin remains upbeat. He looks forward to joining former Stanford teammates Tiger Woods, '98, and Notah Begay III, '94, on the tour. "I hope to play to the best of my ability and savor it. Who knows if there's going to be another year?"
