SPORTS WEEKEND : GOLF / THOMAS BONK : Martin Running Out of Time as Leg Condition Worsens

When the PGA Tour decided last year to appeal the lawsuit it lost to Casey Martin over his right to use a golf cart during tournaments, it assured that a final ruling would be tied up in the courts for years.

And whether the tour knew that was about as much time Martin had left to play competitively, well, sadly, it may work out that way. A final ruling on the appeal may not be made until May.

Martin’s right leg, the one affected by a painful and rare circulatory condition, is getting worse. How much time Martin has left before amputation becomes necessary is not known, but chances are it’s going to be sooner rather than later.

“It’s all terribly upsetting,” said Melinda Martin, Casey’s mother.

Mrs. Martin and her other son, Cameron, accompanied Casey on two trips to see a specialist in Chicago who administered as many as 75 injections in a last-ditch effort to relieve Martin’s pain and save his leg.

“Is it getting worse?” said Chris Murray, Martin’s agent. “Yes. How much time does he have left? Nobody knows for sure.”

Those close to Martin do not expect his leg to last that much longer; the main bone in his lower leg is so brittle it could shatter at any time. Martin, 27, has Klippel-Trenaunay-Weber syndrome, a condition in which blood pools in his leg and erodes the bone.

After taking three weeks off, he came back last week at a Nike Tour event in Utah, but he missed the cut. That wasn’t very good news for Martin.

He needs to finish in the top 15 on the Nike Tour money list to earn a PGA Tour card for 2000. He is No. 15, with $94,927.

Martin received treatment from Chicago physician Brian McDonagh, who founded Vein Clinics of America. Martin said he hasn’t felt much relief yet.

“My leg just hasn’t been well at all,” Martin said.

“I know the leg isn’t going to get any better. All I can do is try to live with it the best I can for as long as I can.”

Martin plans to play in five more Nike Tour events to stay at least No. 15 on the money list. As for being able to stay on the golf course, nobody knows how much longer that’s going to last.

PLEASE COME TO ORDER

After he conducted a youth clinic for his foundation Monday in San Francisco, Tiger Woods made a personal appearance at Planet Hollywood. Uh, where? Woods has an endorsement deal with the All-Star Cafe, a rival theme restaurant.

TIGER UPDATE

Woods announced a PGA Tour-sanctioned, $3.5-million charity event involving 12 top-ranked players, which will be held Dec. 29-Jan. 2 at Grayhawk Golf Club in Scottsdale, Ariz.

The event is called the Williams World Challenge, jointly sponsored by Woods’ foundation and the Williams Companies.

The top 10 available (emphasis on available) players in the world ranking and two more chosen by the foundation will make up the field. This is going to be interesting: How many players want to commit to playing golf over New Year’s--no matter the money--and for those who don’t, how angry are they willing to make Woods?

There is also the issue of, well, the unusual playing schedule. The first round on a Wednesday, second round on Thursday, celebrity pro-am on New Year’s Eve, final two rounds on Jan. 1 and Jan. 2.

For the record, Sergio Garcia is already committed. The winner receives $1 million.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

Arnold Palmer is 70 today. Take a King to lunch.

By the way, at Palmer’s birthday party, guests are instructed to bring no gifts. Instead, they can contribute to the Arnold Palmer Hospital Foundation in Latrobe, Pa.

YES, SHE’S MOODIE

You had a bad week? How about Janice Moodie, the second-year pro from Scotland who was one shot out of the lead at the State Farm Rail Classic when she was erroneously given a two-shot penalty.

On the 13th hole, Moodie waved at a butterfly on her ball in a bunker and the insect was ruled a “loose impediment in a hazard.”

LPGA rules officials asked the USGA for a ruling and took the penalty away several holes later. The steamed Moodie was suddenly back in contention, but she was a victim of emotional whiplash and wound up one shot behind winner Mi Hyun Kim.

Actually, Moodie may be able to cope. She earned a psychology degree at San Jose State, so she can lie down on the couch and talk to herself.

IT IS A BID DEAL

In a news release about a Davis Love III-Ryder Cup story in the Sept. 20 issue of ESPN the Magazine, Love is quoted as saying, “. . . All the players will know what a bid [sic] deal the competition is.”

Either he’s spending too much time on the ebay.com site or that’s a bad typo. Or a bid mistake.

Whatever. Anyway, Love has a sore neck and has been advised to stay away from golf for two weeks. However, he said he’ll play at the Ryder Cup Sept. 24-26.

IT’S WAY OVER

As part of the settlement of the lawsuit brought by Callaway against Orlimar, clubmaker Orlimar must pay a licensing fee to Callaway to settle a patent infringement claim by Callaway concerning the TriMetal irons.

A consent decree and injunction ordered Orlimar not to falsely portray Callaway in future commercials and also not to use pro golfers as endorsers by using Orlimar logos unless the players have at least one Orlimar club in their bags. That issue became a problem when Ted Tryba nearly won the Nissan Open with an Orlimar logo bag even though he was not using any Orlimar clubs.

OH, CANADA!

Until Mike Weir won the Air Canada Championship, the last time a Canadian won a PGA Tour event in Canada was in 1954 when Pat Fletcher won the Canadian Open.

DEAL WITH IT

Insiders say Tom Watson began negotiations for a club deal at $1 million a year. Watson signed with Adams Golf last week in a five-year deal for a fee, incentives and stock.

These same insiders say Watson received a deal similar to that of Nick Faldo, who received 900,000 shares of stock.

Adams Golf will introduce a new line of fairway woods at the PGA International Golf Show in Las Vegas later this month.

MORE WATSON

By the way, Watson makes his greatly anticipated Senior PGA Tour debut today in the Comfort Classic at the Brickyard in Indianapolis.

Watson and Gary McCord tied for third in the pro-am part of the tournament.

Said Watson: “My game is a little sporadic.”

Maybe, but his life may be a little more settled down. Last week, he was married to former tour player Denis Watson’s former wife, Hilary.

Watson said he’s putting all right, but that he is having trouble off the tee. He said his drives are going right. Watson blamed his swing and not his equipment . . . for now.

MORE CLUB NEWS

Fuzzy Zoeller, who lost his equipment contract with Daiwa after his infamous comments about Woods at the Masters, has signed with Carbite to carry 10 clubs and a bag with the company logo.

AUGUSTA UPDATE

The good burghers at Augusta National keep tweaking the place to make it harder. This week, they announced a few more changes involving rebuilt greens and some new trees.

This is from a press release about No. 14: “Planted approximately four trees right of the fairway. . . .”

Approximately?

And at No. 17: Removed two trees at the right of the No. 17 fairway. Added “approximately” three trees between

No. 15 and No. 17. Added “approximately” three trees at left of fairway. Add five yards to the hole, which is now 430 yards.

In addition, the No. 10 and No. 16 greens were rebuilt to reduce encroachment of Bermuda grass and to establish new pin positions. And No. 12 and No. 13 greens were “re-grassed” and new pin positions were established.

MONEY NEWS

Here’s further proof that the senior tour is the best way to make money without a printing press: Jim Thorpe hasn’t won this year, but he has banked $704,224.

In 1985, his best year on the PGA Tour, Thorpe won twice and earned $379,091.

BIRDIES, BOGEYS, PARS

The Pediatric Adolescent Diabetes Research Education Foundation of Children’s Hospital of Orange will hold a tournament Monday at Los Coyotes in Buena Park. Details: (714) 532-8330.

The 12th Kelsey Grammer Toys for Tots tournament will be Oct. 11 at Yorba Linda Country Club. The event benefits the Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots program. Details: (818) 990-5600.

Jerry Anderson, president of Newport Beach Country Club, has been selected Southern California PGA golf professional of the year. Alan Ochiai of Tustin Ranch Golf Club has been named the SCPGA’s teaching pro of the year.