Casey Martin Qualifies for U.S. Open, To Use Golf Cart at San Francisco’s Olympic Club

It's been a while since the golf world has heard from Casey Martin. Last time he showed up on the radar, he was successfully suing the PGA Tour — in PGA Tour, Inc. v. Martin, a case that made it all the way to the Supreme Court — under the Americans With Disabilities Act to allow him the use of a golf cart during tournaments.

Martin was born with a defect in his right leg, Klippel–Trénaunay–Weber syndrome, which affects circulation in the limbs. He played his college golf at Stanford University, where he was a teammate of Tiger Woods.

During the ongoing case (while he was allowed a cart) and after its resolution, Martin enjoyed only marginal success in golf, earning a full PGA Tour exemption for only the 2000 season. However, he competed in many Nike Tour events (now the Nationwide Tour), and currently serves as the golf coach for the University of Oregon.

On Tuesday, however, Martin, now 40 years old, earned a spot in the 2012 U.S. Open at San Francisco's Olympic Club by making it through local and sectional qualifying, culminating with a 5-foot par putt at Emerald Valley Golf Club in Creswell, Oregon. And yes, Martin will be using a cart at Olympic Club next weekend.