Casey Martin, who successfully sued the PGA Tour so he could use a golf cart because of a rare circulatory disease, had surgery Friday to have his right leg amputated.
Martin, 49, who has been the golf coach at the University of Oregon for 15 years, had the surgery at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, Golf Digest reported. His leg was amputated above the knee.
According to the university’s website, Martin suffers from a birth defect called Klippel-Trenaunay-Webber Syndrome, a congenital circulatory disorder. His condition made it almost impossible to walk 18 holes, but he was able to earn a PGA Tour card for the 2000 season, according to The Associated Press.
College golf coach and former PGA Tour pro Casey Martin had his right leg amputated due to a circulatory disease he was born with: https://t.co/NOsXVeZblm pic.twitter.com/QfKOGazIGf
— Golf Digest (@GolfDigest) October 16, 2021
Under the provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, Martin sued the Tour and won the right to use a golf cart in a case that was decided by the Supreme Court in 2001 in a 7-2 decision.
Martin won the Ben Hogan Award in 1998, given annually to a competitor who continues to be active in golf despite a physical handicap. In 2001, Nike instituted an annual Casey Martin Award to recognize a disabled athlete.
Sending prayers and good wishes to our great friend Casey Martin following surgery to remove his leg. All love and respect to our pal. @uoregon
— Peter Jacobsen (@JakeTrout) October 16, 2021
Martin, who was a teammate of Tiger Woods on Stanford’s national championship team, qualified for the U.S. Open in 2012 but missed the cut, according to the PGA Tour website.
As Oregon’s coach, Martin has led the Ducks to nine NCAA Championship appearances, including winning the 2016 NCAA title and finishing runner-up in the 2017 event, according to the school’s website.
Jeff Quinney, a former PGA Tour player and Oregon’s current assistant coach, will fill in for Martin during his recovery, the Golf Channel reported.
Very sorry to hear that Casey Martin finally had to get his leg amputated.
— Will Bardwell (@willbardwell) October 16, 2021
One of @LyingFour’s first podcasts recounted his legal battle against the PGA Tour, which he won at the U.S. Supreme Court 20 years ago this summer. https://t.co/dO7Mq1DzUS
Martin broke his right leg in October 2019, Golf Digest reported. Road construction outside of his home caused him to step the wrong way off a curb while he was bringing in his trash cans at night, according to the Golf Channel.
Despite two years in a cast and a series of injections, his tibia never healed, according to Golf Digest.
“In many ways, I exceeded what my doctors told me as a kid,” Martin told the magazine earlier this month. “I always felt this would be my destiny. So while it’s weird to be here now, about to become seriously disfigured, it’s not unexpected.”
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