Martin (69) Takes Ride on Wild Side

By THOMAS BONK

March 6, 1998 12 AM PT

TIMES STAFF WRITER

AUSTIN, Texas —

It was a change of venue. Casey Martin took his case from the courtroom to the golf course Thursday and nervously unloaded his clubs from the trunk.

Followed by a horde of reporters, photographers and cameramen that formed a sweaty, notepad-packing, boom-wielding mass of close to 150, Martin started quickly, finished slowly and shot a three-under-par 69 in the first round of the Nike Greater Austin Open.

Afterward, Martin was asked how he felt.

“I feel fine,” he said.

Then Martin leaned closer to the microphone and smiled.

“Probably shouldn’t say that. I’m verrrrry tired.”

Martin was poking fun at one of the issues opponents brought up in his landmark court victory forcing the PGA Tour to allow him to ride a cart when he plays in Nike or PGA tour events.

If Martin really was nervous, he must have been worried about losing the keys to the cart or something, because it couldn’t have been about his golf.

Martin shot a 31 on the front, including an eagle on the par-five No. 8 when he ripped a three-iron from 225 yards to 12 feet and made the putt. He was the early leader when he made the turn, although bogeys on two of the last five holes dropped him back into a tie for 19th, three shots behind leader Michael Allen.

By then, Martin’s limp was even more noticeable, even though he rode a cart all 18 holes. Martin has a painful circulatory ailment in his right leg, a congenital defect called Klippel-Trenaunay-Weber Syndrome that makes walking difficult.

He hoped his pole-thin leg would be in fair condition after his round. Martin said he hoped he could treat it differently Thursday night.

“If it doesn’t feel bad, I’ll lie around on the couch like everybody else.”

But Martin is hardly like everybody else, especially on the professional golf scene. His gallery was largely media, but there were a number of fans curious to watch Martin play.

Greg Jones followed Martin in a small, electric one-person cart. Jones is president of American Disabled Golfers.

Thomas Bourgeois also was interested in Martin. Bourgeois was born without a right fibula and had his leg amputated when he was less than a year old. The 30-year-old from San Antonio is a two-time paralympic medalist in the pentathlon and plays golf to a five handicap.

“I had to see him for myself,” Bourgeois said. “He can motivate a lot of people, both able-bodied and handicapped.

“A lot of people have been dealt difficult cards in their lives. This guy has to work hard to overcome his. But his obstacles just might give him a competitive edge in crunch time.”

Martin played in a threesome with former PGA Tour pros Robin Lee Freeman and Mike Sullivan. He was consistently 25 yards longer than them both, especially on the front, where Martin excelled.

He birdied the par-three No. 3 when he made a 20-foot putt and then birdied No. 6 when he hit a sand wedge to eight feet and made the putt. Martin followed his eagle with a 30-foot birdie putt on No. 9 and made the turn at five under.

“I wish I could do that every time,” he said. “I just tried to focus. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t.”

He said the media is no distraction, although there is a burden to carry in the deal.

“Hopefully I can play well and give the media something good to talk about,” Martin said. “I don’t want to play bad and have you guys write ‘He played soooo bad.’ ”

Right now, he’s the guy in the cart.

“I know that’s how I’m going to be perceived. I’d like to be known as a good golfer and a good person. But right now, I’m gonna be looked on as the guy in the cart. So be it.”

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

GREATER AUSTIN OPEN LEADERS

At Hills of Lakeway--Par 72

Michael Allen: 66

Don Reese: 67

Jeff Gove: 67

Jerry Foltz: 67

Kevin Riley: 67

Steve Haskins: 67

Bill Britton: 67

Don Walsworth: 67

Randy Petri: 67