Martin Vs. Pga Tour Gets Under Way Today

Since he won a tournament on the Nike Tour while riding a cart, disabled golfer Casey Martin has been all over TV, become a part of Nike’s “I Can” campaign and appeared at the U.S. Capitol with Bob Dole.

Today, he gets down to business in U.S. District Court.

A federal magistrate begins hearing three or four days of testimony before deciding whether the Americans with Disabilities Act should force the PGA Tour to grant Martin the right to ride instead of walk in the professional golf tournaments it sponsors.

The PGA Tour lost a bid last week to have the case thrown out of court on grounds the disabilities act does not apply.

Martin was born with Klippel-Trenaunay-Weber Syndrome. He does not have the vein that runs along the bone in his lower right leg. Instead, blood flows back to his heart through a jumble of veins near the surface. The condition makes it painful for him to walk and could ultimately lead to amputation.