Calm down. All you avid golfers put down your 9-irons and take a deep breath. This is not going to be a column ripping on golf in any way, shape, or form. Okay,well maybe a little. But, my problem isn't with the game, it's with the recent fiasco that has erupted in the Professional Golf Association (PGA).
Ever heard of Casey Martin?
If not, maybe you have seen him on Nike's "I Can" commercials. He's the young golfer from Eugene, Ore., who recently won the Nike Lakeland Classic Golf Tournament for his first Nike Tour tournament victory. So what you ask? Who ever pays attention to the Nike Tour? Well, let's see...this is golf so the issue probably has something to do with Tiger Woods. Or, maybe it has something to do with John Daly checking into another rehab facility. Actually, as you will see, the issue is quite serious.
What has people talking is unfortunately not Martin's talents on the golf course. Nope, it's the fact that Martin has a congenital leg disorder and is currently suing the PGA tour for the right to use a cart. No problem, the man has a walking disability so he needs to use a cart when playing golf. End of story. Oh, if life was only that simple.
See, the PGA contends that walking is a fundamental part of the game and allowing him to ride would give him an unfair advantage. You do have to agree with the PGA a little bit here ... I mean, remember the 1967 Masters when Jack Nicklaus was almost too exhausted to putt out on the 18th green to win the tournament? Or, the time when Lee Trevino was about to win the U.S. Open but couldn't lift his driver on the 17th tee because he was completely drained from walking the course? Please...
To see the absurdity of the situation it's important to fully understand Martin's condition. The 25 year-old has been hobbled by Klippel-Trenaunay-Weber Syndrome since birth. This means Martin doesn't have the vein that runs along the bone in his lower leg. Blood returning to his heart goes through a jumble of veins near the surface of leg. When they get stressed, they bleed into his knee, causing pain and damage to the joint. People in the courtroom cringed at the sight of Martin's leg which is half the size of his good leg and bulges with purple veins that swell with blood when he stands up. Even watching Casey walk from cart to green and green to cart is a painful experience. Hello? Do we not get this yet? The young man suffers from a severe pain if forced to walk for any substantial amount of time and should be allowed to use a cart to play golf. As Martin's attorney, Martha Walters said, "(Casey's) use of a cart is not only possible, it is reasonable, it is required, and it is right."
So, what's the other side of this so-called "complicated issue?" Well, the PGA wants to protect tradition and its right to promulgate its own rules of competition without judicial or governmental interference, regardless of whether its actions are discriminatory. In doing so, however, the stakes are high, for such a stance may offend the corporate sponsors on the PGA Tour, many of them household names. Support for the Tour may be diminished or even withdrawn. Regardless of the outcome of this case, many individuals are now turning off and tuning out the PGA Tour. Even numerous U. S. Senators are expressing concern.
While I clearly side with Martin, many would probably call my position ignorant and completely emotion-based. I, of course, being a mediocre golfer at best could never understand the rigors of "tournament golf." And, more importantly, tradition is tradition and should not be tampered with. On top of that, if a golfer wins one lawsuit, won't that just start an avalanche of tedious litigation? On some of these issues I think the PGA has a strong argument. This is, of course, why they have decided to go through the bad press that this trial is giving them.
What the PGA is overestimating is the importance of walking. My argument is simple....ever seen Craig Stadler? The man is out of shape, overweight and is still a highly successful golfer. How can that be possible if tournament golf takes a great amount physical stamina? He sure doesn't have any. So, the argument that giving Martin a cart is giving him an unfair advantage is ludicrous. Rather, the fact is not letting him use a cart is giving him a clear disadvantage. One he probably would not be able to overcome.
The PGA Tour has missed a golden opportunity to embrace a highly talented golfer. It should accommodate Casey Martin and declare: "This is what our motto means when we say, 'Anything's possible'." Not only has it missed the opportunity, but since legal action was filed on behalf of Casey Martin, it has dropped the motto. Obviously, the motto doesn't fit any more. In this case, the PGA's motto is, "Anything's possible...except a tortoise." We can only hope that PGA will come to its senses and realize that this trial is hurting everybody involved. Once everyone's self-interests are served, maybe they will all be able to agree that the essence of golf is still putting the ball in the hole.
