USGA to Play It Safe With Martin Cart

Remember the cute little one-person green cart that was specially brought to the U.S. Open for Casey Martin? Well, forget it.

The U.S. Golf Assn., citing safety issues, said Martin will be provided a regular golf cart to ride at the Olympic Club.

“From a safety standpoint, especially from a spectator-safety standpoint, we think we’re better off providing the traditional golf cart for Casey, and we think that is the right thing to do,” said Mike Butz of the USGA.

Martin had a rough day with his cart during his practice round Monday, when two different ones malfunctioned. Also, there was an apparent handling problem, which led to the USGA’s decision.

Martin said he is no longer distracted by any issue involving his use of a cart.

“Everywhere I go in the papers, it’s the cart,” he said. “After six months of that, you are pretty much desensitized to it.”

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Back news: Tiger Woods and Ernie Els said their backs, which caused them to withdraw from their last tournaments, are no longer problems. Woods pulled out of the Kemper because of a sore back, but he said he’s fine. Els said he doesn’t think his back will affect him, even though he was forced to pull out of last week’s Buick Classic after nine holes.

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The rough at Olympic was measured at five inches, but Tom Watson said it seemed a lot taller than that.

“This rough is the worst rough, most difficult rough, that I have seen in the U.S. Open--ever.”

Watson, 48, has played in 26 U.S. Opens and won the 1982 Open at Pebble Beach.