Yesterday, testimony from PGA Tour Commissioner Tim
Finchem and former USGA President Judy Bell "concluded the
Tour's defense" in Casey Martin vs. The PGA Tour, according
to Thomas Heath of the WASHINGTON POST. Bell said the Tour
"is designed to be the most difficult golf played anywhere,"
and said that "walking five or six miles" is "part of
playing in a top-notch tournament." Under cross-
examination, Bell admitted that golf's rules "have been
modified" for the disabled, but said those changes pertain
to "recreational golf." Finchem's testimony and cross-
examination lasted three hours, "longer than any other
witness." He said that if riding a cart saves Martin "even
one stroke" per year, that would be "too much of an edge,"
and that giving him a cart would "diminish the tour's level
of competition." Finchem called the Tour "the elite rung of
our sport ... geared to challenge the competition at the
highest levels of the game." Closing arguments are this
morning and U.S. Magistrate Judge Thomas Coffin should issue
his ruling this afternoon (WASH. POST, 2/11). Under cross-
examination, Finchem admitted that one stroke "can also make
a difference" on the Senior Tour, which allows carts.
Finchem also said that the Tour had "considered" allowing
Martin to use a cart, "but ultimately rejected the idea,"
since they felt it created an "uncorrectable imbalance in
playing conditions" (Marcia Chambers, N.Y. TIMES, 2/11).
REAX: CNN/SI's Jaime Diaz reported that, regardless of
the trial's outcome, some PGA Tour Tournament Directors will
be "very tempted" to give Martin a sponsor's exemption.
Diaz: "Martin has risen to folk hero status, and that means
box office and exposure to corporate sponsors" (CNN/SI,
2/7). ESPN's Jimmy Roberts said the Tour is "acutely aware"
that public sentiment is against them: "Think about what the
basic elements are here: you're basically arguing against
the rights of a handicapped person to earn a living. They
do not relish being in that position" (ESPN, 2/11). The SAN
DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE editorializes that the Martin case is
"why the ADA was enacted, to give the handicapped a chance"
(SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE, 2/10). In DC, even David Broder
gets into the debate and offers his "suggestion" that the
PGA Tour protect the no-carts rule on the regular tour but
"waive the age requirement and allow Martin to compete in a
cart on the Senior Tour" (WASHINGTON POST, 2/11).
