PGA Tour Should Put Cart Before the Course

Let’s see, through the years, the PGA Tour has survived the World Tour, the Caucasian-only rule, sad television ratings and a lack of superstars. And now it’s going to be brought down by . . . a golf cart?

The way it’s looking, chances are better that the Masters will pave the fairways at Augusta National and paint them green than the tour will win its case against golfer Casey Martin in his suit to use a cart.

Martin, 25, is the former Stanford golfer who has a chronic, incurable disease in his right leg that will keep him from playing professionally if he can’t use a cart. The PGA Tour allowed Martin to use a cart at qualifying school and again in two Nike Tour events in Florida this month--the first of which he won.

Martin sued the PGA Tour to use a cart, arguing that the tour’s rules against using carts on the Nike and PGA tours violates the Americans With Disabilities Act. Commissioner Tim Finchem argues that the key issue is whether a special exemption ought to be granted to Martin and if so, whether it would upset the integrity of the game.

Said Finchem: “My answer [to the special exemption] is no . . . you have an unfair playing field when you have different rules for different players.”

However, the PGA Tour permits carts on the Senior PGA Tour . . . and in the first two rounds of qualifying school to speed up play . . . and in some regular tour events when the distance is great between the greens and the next tees.

So get ready. Martin’s case is scheduled to go to trial Feb. 2 in Martin’s hometown, Eugene, Ore.

The PGA Tour contends the Americans With Disabilities Act wasn’t written with sporting events in mind, but the lead sponsor of the bill begs to differ. Sen. Tom Harkin (D--Iowa) said Martin’s case is exactly the kind of issue the authors of the bill had in mind. It is designed to open all facets of life to the disabled. It’s the law of the land. And that’s what the court probably will rule.

What the PGA Tour should do is make up for its public-relations blunder, allow players to ride carts (most won’t anyway), embrace Martin and then keep quiet. Besides, Martin’s leg is getting worse and his career probably is going to be short.

And don’t let the PGA Tour talk about being able to make its own rules. The PGA of America had a Caucasians-only rule for membership until 1961. So the tour needs to get on board with the Americans With Disabilities Act. The PGA Tour is going to find out that it’s the law of the land too, even on golf courses.

TRAVELS WITH TIGER

As far as globe-trotting golfers go, Tiger Woods is as advanced as any. Last Saturday, he arrived in Manila to play an exhibition Sunday at Mimosa Golf and Country Club on the former Clark Air Base. Woods played in a group with three Asian pros--Felix Casas of the Philippines, Chang Tse-Peng of Taiwan and Kang Wook-Song of South Korea.

Hughes Norton, Woods’ agent, said it was a 5 1/2-hour round in 101-degree heat, but it was worth it to Woods, who is trying to expand awareness of golf in Asia.

“Besides,” Norton said, “he may never go to the Philippines again.”

Then it was off to Thailand and the Johnnie Walker Classic, which is where Woods is playing instead of this week’s Phoenix Open. Even though it’s in Phuket, Thailand, it’s officially the first event of the European PGA Tour and attracted a field that also includes Ernie Els, Nick Faldo, Jose Maria Olazabal and Ian Woosnam.

There was an interesting opening ceremony during which five Indian elephants were led down the 10th fairway right up to Woods, Els, Faldo, Olazabal and Lee Westwood. It was hoped that Woods would climb aboard one of the elephants for a photo op, but it didn’t happen--Woods’ insurance carrier wouldn’t allow it.

AND MORE TIGER

He hasn’t committed yet, but it appears that Woods will play in the Nissan Open, Feb. 26-March 1.

For one thing, Woods will conduct a youth clinic before the tournament, through his foundation. And Woods is going to be honored at the Muscular Dystrophy Assn.’s Magic Johnson Sports Star Dinner and Auction at the Century Plaza Hotel on March 1. Woods, who will be presented the “Sports Star of the Year Award,” requested that the event be moved from Tuesday night to the Sunday night after the tournament, which was done.

Norton said Woods isn’t sure about playing at Valencia, but that it could happen.

“Obviously, the L.A. Open always occupies a warm place in Tiger’s heart,” Norton said. “It’s the area where he grew up and it’s the tournament that gave him his first exemption when he was 15.”

WATCH THE BIRDIES

Guess how many birdies were made during last week’s Bob Hope Chrysler Classic.

If you said 1,427, you win.

Chances are the figure may reach, gosh, maybe 2,000 next year, when the Palmer Course at PGA West is the host course and gets two rounds, semi-stingy La Quinta drops out and birdie-friendly Tamarisk jumps in. The last time the course setup was like this was in 1993 when the Hope set PGA Tour records for 90-hole events with a cut of 10 under and a winning score of 35 under (thanks to Tom Kite).

PAVIN WAVIN’ AGAIN

He finished tied for 43rd at the Bob Hope, but Corey Pavin actually was encouraged about his golf after playing the last four rounds in 11 under par.

“I feel a lot better now,” Pavin said. “In fact, I feel better than I did almost any time last year. There were so many positive things coming out of the week.”

Pavin, whose on-again, off-again relationship with swing coach Chuck Cook is off again, has been working with Gary Smith, a former David Leadbetter associate and now an analyst with the Golf Channel. Smith also tutors Skip Kendall, who tied for eighth at the Hope.

“I’m getting this club on a good swing path again, which is something that Gary has really helped me with,” Pavin said. “And my putting got better and better each day.”

Obviously, it comes and it goes. Pavin shot a 78 Thursday in the first round of the Phoenix Open, 15 off the pace set by Mike Hulbert.

CALL IT DEFLATION

You know, those major championship victories just aren’t worth what they used to be. The PGA Tour policy board cut from 10 years to five years the exemption given a winner of a major. The exemption for winning the Players Championship also was cut from 10 years to five and the World Series of Golf winner’s exemption was cut from 10 years to three.

The World Series of Golf will be replaced in 1999 by the NEC World Invitational, limited to Ryder Cup and Presidents Cup members.

SURE, THAT EXPLAINS IT

It was pretty funny last week at the Hope when Andrew Magee said players don’t follow up rounds like 62 with anything close to that. Magee was reminded that John Cook won the Hope in 1997 with finishing rounds of 62-63.

“Yeah, but he’s a weirdo,” Magee said.

CURTIS AT WORK

Curtis Strange, who was struck with Bell’s palsy on Christmas Day, said he is 95% better and that the virus that caused temporary paralysis of his face has affected neither his work for ABC nor his golf.

“The doctors said it would last about three to six weeks, and they were right,” he said.

Strange played at the Hope, where he missed the cut the week after he worked the Mercedes Championships for ABC. When the illness first hit, Strange had to tape his eye shut to sleep and he could not speak unless he held his face with his hands.

“It was really something. But what I found out is that almost everybody I talked to either had the illness or knew somebody who did. It’s amazing.”

The skin is still red beneath Strange’s left eye where he rubbed it, but he has no problems playing golf or talking.

“I was worried, but I never really felt as though my career would be in jeopardy. You just deal with it and wait and hope for the best.”

Strange telephoned D.A. Weibring and asked for some advice because Weibring contracted Bell’s palsy in 1996 and won a tournament four months later.

Strange finished No. 129 on the money list in 1997 and hasn’t won a tournament since the 1989 U.S. Open. His 10-year exemption for that victory runs out next year. He is No. 13 in career earnings with more than $7 million.

JACK ON JACK

Jack Nicklaus, playing the Senior Skins Game on ABC this weekend with Arnold Palmer, Hale Irwin and Raymond Floyd, disputed the popular notion that the Senior PGA Tour is in a lull.

Said Nicklaus: “Last year you had a year when Nicklaus, [Lee] Trevino, [Dave] Stockton, [Jim] Colbert, Palmer--guys that you have heard of for a long time--did not win a golf tournament. All of a sudden, ‘Gee, what is wrong with the senior tour?’ What was wrong is we did not play worth a darn.”

Nicklaus said there’s nothing wrong with the senior tour that couldn’t be fixed by a few more wins by the old guys he mentioned and the expected arrival of such new old guys as Tom Watson, Kite and Ben Crenshaw.

BIRDIES, BOGEYS, PARS

And now, the latest weather from Pebble Beach: wet. Unless there’s some serious drying out really soon, practice rounds for the AT&T; National Pro-Am probably are going to be canceled for the third consecutive year. Even though improvements have been made, Spyglass is extremely wet once again, especially the par-five No. 11 and the par-four No. 16. Poor drainage on those two holes forced cancellation of the 1996 tournament.

Nicholas Cage, Randy Quaid, Rob Schneider, Shari Belafonte, Tony Gwynn, Herschel Walker and Yancey Thigpen are among those who will play in the Super Star Celebrity tournament today at the DoubleTree Resort Carmel Highlands course in San Diego. The event benefits the San Diego Center for the Blind, the United Negro College Fund, Dalmatian Dreams, Children’s Hospital-Los Angeles and Athletes and Entertainers for Kids. Details: (800) 274-6022.

The 10th Frank Sinatra Celebrity tournament will be played Feb. 5-8 at the Westin Mission Hills Resort. The event benefits the Barbara Sinatra Children’s Center, the Desert Health Care Foundation and the Eisenhower Medical Center. Details: (800) FS-STARS.

Fred Couples, who was supposed to play in the Johnnie Walker Classic in Thailand, canceled after he missed his flight to Bangkok because he was stuck in traffic Sunday night. . . . Paul R. Latshaw has been hired as course superintendent at Riviera, which is hosting the U.S. Senior Open in July. Latshaw was the superintendent at Congressional, the site of the 1997 U.S. Open. . . . UCLA is hosting a 36-hole stroke-play event involving two-man better-ball teams March 15-17 at Primm Valley Golf Club in Stateline, Nev. The event benefits the UCLA men’s golf program. Details: (310) 206-6588. . . . Jack Lemmon, James Garner, Robert Loggia and Jim Murray are among the celebrities scheduled to play in the Tom Sullivan Blind Children’s Center celebrity tournament May 11 at Riviera. Details: (310) 207-5663.

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INFOSTAT

Following Their Own Success

A look at how recent PGA Tour rookies of the year performed in their second year on the tour:

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Year:Player Rookie Year Next Year 1990 Robert Gamez 2 wins, $461,407 0 wins, $280,349 1991 John Daly 1 win, $574,783 1 win, $387,455 1992 Mark Carnevale 1 win, $220,921 0 wins, $100,046 1993 Vijay Singh 1 win, $657,831 0 wins, $325,959 1994 Ernie Els 1 win, $684,440 1 win, $842,590 1995 Woody Austin 1 win, $736,497 0 wins, $539,397 1996 Tiger Woods 2 wins, $790,594 4 wins, $2,066,833

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