PGA Tour Commissioner Tim Finchem said yesterday that
Casey Martin "almost certainly" will play in a PGA Tour
event this year and "probably will have at least two years"
to ride a cart on the pro golf tours, according to an AP
report in the BOSTON GLOBE. The Tour still plans to appeal
Wednesday's ruling, but Finchem said that it will "allow the
appeal to unfold at its own pace," instead of requesting an
immediate stay of ruling or an expedition of the matter by
San Francisco's Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.
Finchem "[E]veryone needs to recognize that it might take
years for this to be decided. What we want to do is get
back to playing golf" (AP/BOSTON GLOBE, 2/13).
OPEN POLICY: USGA Exec Dir David Fay recommended that
his organization "not stand in the way" of Martin if he
wants to play in the U.S. Open. Fay said that Martin should
ride not in a cart, but in a "single-person, scooterlike
device" which disabled spectators have used at tournaments.
That vehicle, Fay said, "would be less intrusive and easier
for Martin to maneuver" (CHICAGO TRIBUNE, 2/13).
SPONSOR EXEMPTIONS: Martin, who is exempt on the Nike
Tour, is allowed as many as seven sponsor's exemptions to
compete in PGA Tour events. USA TODAY reports that he has
received an invitation to play in the CVS Charity Classic in
MA from July 26-29 (USA TODAY, 2/13). The decision on
whether to offer Martin an exemption into next week's Tucson
Chrysler Classic is being discussed by its committee.
Tournament Dir Judy McDermott said that while she would like
"work something out," with all five exemptions given out,
"it doesn't look real promising." Martin's agent, Jim
Lehman, said that "he would recommend" Martin take the
exemption if offered (Bill Hoffman, ARIZONA REPUBLIC, 2/13).
In Philadelphia, Joe Logan writes that Martin "will not be
offered" a spot in Tucson (DAILY NEWS, 2/13). Also, an
exemption for Martin to play in the Nissan Open "doesn't
look as though it's going to happen," as the tournament
"doesn't solicit players to ask for" exemptions (L.A. TIMES,
2/13). In IL, Western Open Dir Gary McLaughlin said that
"he has no plans" to offer Martin an exemption, but
acknowledged there "are going to be some tournaments looking
to sell tickets by getting him" (CHICAGO SUN-TIMES, 2/13).
SPONSORS DARLING? Martin, who "unwound" yesterday by
attending an "extravagant" party thrown by Nike Chair Phil
Knight in Beaverton, has three new endorsement proposals
awaiting his signature (Jeff Babineau, ORLANDO SENTINEL,
2/13). On CNBC, Mike Hegedus looked at Martin's endorsement
potential. Ryan Schinman of WorldWide Entertainment &
Sports put possible endorsement dollars "anywhere between"
$500,000 and $1M, "which is the equivalent of almost going
out and winning a gold medal." Nike's Knight: "Casey Martin
is one of the great stories of sports of the last ten or 15
years. A kid like that comes along, really, once every 50
or 100 years." However, Partners & Shevack CEO Brett
Shevack said, historically, disabled athletes "become soon
forgotten unless the athlete wins." But he said Martin's
cart "could become the NASCAR of the PGA Tour, with logos
all over. ... After all, the golf cart has a bigger space
for a logo than a golf hat" (CNBC, 2/12). But Finchem said,
"We would oppose signage on carts. And I don't think Casey
would go that way" (CBS SportsLine, 2/12).
