Casey Martin: The Enduring Battle After the Supreme Court

The fight for mobility in golf continues for Casey Martin, decades after the landmark Supreme Court ruling that allowed him to use a golf cart. What sounded like a victory at the time for everyone facing physical challenges on the course, in retrospect, turns out to be just one stage in a much larger, personal marathon.

The Precedent That Moved the Golf World

Let's remember: In November 1997, Martin filed a lawsuit. The PGA Tour had denied him the use of a cart during the crucial phase of Q-School, arguing that the course had to be walked. Martin's lawyers countered: This was a clear violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and effectively excluded people with disabilities from competition. The Tour insisted on being a private entity, not obligated to make such concessions. But Martin won in the lower courts, and the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals upheld this ruling in March 2000.

In January 2001, the case finally reached the U.S. Supreme Court, which ruled in a clear 7:2 decision in favor of Martin on May 29, 2001. A landmark decision that swept aside the PGA Tour's claim that walking was an essential part of professional golf. Justices Scalia and Thomas disagreed, but the majority made it clear: The ADA can require reasonable accommodations in elite sports, as long as the competition is not fundamentally altered as a result.

The Legacy and the Enduring Battles

This ruling was not only a liberation for Casey Martin personally but also a milestone for disability rights in sports in general. It established an important precedent that remains relevant to this day. However, as a recent ESPN article from May 29, 2026, highlights, Martin's struggle with his disabilities and mobility issues by no means ended with this legal victory. His personal and medical battles, which life writes beyond the fairway, have continued and are ongoing. A gripping story of willpower that shows us that true victories are often won off the course.