Martin Rides to a 68

Casey Martin gripped his driver at No. 15, smacked it against the passenger-seat cushion on his cart and knocked his game into gear.

“That was my first flush shot of the day,” he joked.

Playing in his first tournament since the Supreme Court ruled he could use a cart in competition, Martin salvaged a frustrating round with birdies at three of his final four holes for a four-under-par 68 Thursday in the Buy.com Greater Cleveland Open at Concord, Ohio.

“I’ll take it,” Martin said. “I don’t feel like I played that great, but 68 is one of my best rounds this year. I didn’t hit a good shot until the seventh hole.”

Martin will begin today’s second round in 19th place, four strokes behind leader Heath Slocum.

Martin’s case has sparked a nationwide debate among golfers and non-golfers. But there was no controversy to be seen or heard during Martin’s round--only golf.

“He’s a great guy,” said Charley Hoffman, who played in Martin’s threesome. “And it’s good he has the ruling behind him. It’s great he’s able to go out and play with no worries.”

A small group of fans, including his father and a high school buddy, followed Martin, who played in relative quiet.

It wasn’t until the 18th hole when Martin drew any kind of crowd.

“I’m glad he’s riding a cart,” Ed Grant of Hudson, Ohio, said before Martin teed off at 18. “It’s obvious when you see him that he needs to.”

Martin then crushed a 300-yard-plus drive down the middle.

Shortly after finishing with a birdie at 18, Martin was greeted by Charlie Sifford, who helped break golf’s color barrier as one of the first blacks to play on the mainstream tours.

“I’m happy for him,” Sifford said. “I think he deserves the cart. He doesn’t have an advantage over other guys. Carts can’t hit those shots for him.”

Martin missed the cut in four of his eight tournaments this season and his best finish is a tie for 34th at the Louisiana Open in April.

He’s hoping that, with his 3 1/2-year legal battle against the PGA Tour finally over, he can focus on his game and fans will look at his ability and not his disability.

“I think it’s the start of a new chapter for me,” he said earlier this week.

Martin pulled up in his green cart--with initials CM on the hood--at the first tee for his 7:24 a.m. start. Playing with Hoffman and Jamie Rogers, his front nine included several scrambles from the deep rough to save pars. But after birdies at Nos. 6 and 7, any early nervousness was gone and his confidence grew.

As Martin walked up one fairway, his caddie, Van Williams, said it’s only a matter of time before Martin is back on the PGA Tour.

“Dude, it’s going to be scary when he gets it going. It’s all up here,” Williams said, touching an index finger to his temple. “When he gets that done, it’s over with.”

Sweden’s Maria Hjorth equaled the course record with a seven-under 65 and took a one-stroke lead after the second round of the $2.1-million Evian Masters at Evian, France.

In warm and calm conditions, Hjorth had eight birdies and only one bogey and was at 10-under 134 for 36 holes.

Another Swede, Sophie Gustafson, who shot a 66, and first-round leader Beth Daniel, who had a 68, were tied for second at 135.

Gustafson aced the 17th with a sand wedge from 109 yards and won a car. Gustafson also eagled the par-five seventh hole with a five-iron to two feet.