Martin v. PGA Tour, Inc.

Team:
Jean Lopez, Adam Sprachman & Caroline Walsh

The litigants in said trial are as follows:
• Casey Martin (plaintiff)
• PGA Tour, Inc. (defendant)
The date that the lawsuit was filed:
• November 26, 1997
The court in which it was filed:
• US District Court in Eugene, Oregon
The present status of the Case:
• February 11,1998 US Magistrate Thomas Coffin rules in favor of
Martin
• July 5, 2000 PGA Tour appeals the decision to the US Supreme Court
• September 26, 2000 Supreme Court agrees to hear PGA tour appeal
• January 17, 2001 Supreme court hears oral arguments
• May 29, 2001 Supreme court rules martin has legal right to ride in a
cart between shots at PGA Tour events

Casey Martin suffers from Klippel-Trenaunay-Weber (KTW) Syndrome, a
congenital, degenerative circulatory disorder that affects his right leg and therefore
causes him pain in the leg and for this reason he is unable to walk for long periods
of time. One way a player can qualify for the PGA Tour is by participating in the
Nike Tour and winning three of those tournaments in one year or by being in the top
fifteen money-winners in the Nike Tour. In 1997, Martin was looking to qualify for
the PGA tour, and in order to do so, a player must enter a competition known as the
qualifying school and be one of the top finishers.

The qualifying school consists of three stages; in which the first two stages
players are permitted to use golf carts but they are required to walk the course
between shots on the third stage. Casey Martin was able to qualify for the third
stage of the 1997 qualifying school. On the third hole he requested to use a golf cart
due to his disability in his right leg. However, PGA denied him of his request, and
Martin sued for his right to ride in the golf cart. He filed suit to allow him to use a
cart during the qualifying tournament, Nike Tour and the PGA Tour (if he qualified)
and on the same day for a preliminary injunction that would allow him to continue
playing at the qualifying tournament with a cart.