Supreme Court rules Martin can use cart

The U.S. Supreme Court has upheld disabled golfer Casey Martin's right to use a cart during PGA events.

In a 7-2 vote, the justices ruled that a federal disability bias law requires the pro golf tour to waive its requirement that players walk the course during tournaments.

The Americans with Disabilities Act prohibits public facilities, such as golf courses, shopping centres and movie theatres from discriminating against the disabled.

The law, passed in 1990, requires facilites to make modifications in order to be accessible to disabled.

No modifications need be made if the changes fundamentally alter the place or event.

According to Justice John Paul Stevens, allowing Martin to use a golf cart does not fundamentally change a PGA competition.

"We have no doubt that allowing Martin to use a golf cart would not fundamentally alter the nature of the PGA Tour's tournaments," Stevens wrote.

Martin requested a cart because he was born with Klippel Trenaunay Weber syndrome, a rare circulatory disorder which causes blood to pool in his right leg and results in severe pain and swelling.

Extended walking, as would be required without a cart, aggravates the condition.

Martin has been using a cart since 1998, when a U.S. district court issued a permanent injunction against the PGA.

The PGA Tour appealed, but the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the lower court decision in a 3-0 vote last March.

The Supreme Court began hearing arguments in the case last January.

The case has sharply divided a sport that cherishes rules and tradition.

Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer spoke out against the notion of Martin -- or any player -- using a cart in an elite competition to alleviate a disability.

They claimed a cart would give Martin an edge over opponents and take away a basic, critical aspect of the game: the ability to walk the terrain of an 18-hole course.

Active PGA players generally appear more open to the idea, though some too have expressed reservations.

"I think it's important that every major sport has the right to have competitive rules," said Phil Mickelson. "On the same token, I don't feel by having somebody ride a cart, he's going to beat me or shoot lower scores because of that."

Tiger Woods, the best player in the world and one of its most influential athletes, was a teammate of Martin's at Stanford University and the two used to room together on road trips.

Woods said Martin sometimes would be in so much pain that he couldn't rise to use the bathroom.

Martin finished in a tie for 23rd at the 1998 U.S. Open and qualified for the PGA Tour last year, but did not play well enough to keep his privileges for 2001.

Martin has competed in just two PGA events this year, failing to make the cut each time.

He participted in 29 events last season and his best finish was 17th in the Tucson Open.