Pga Tour, Inc V. Martin (2000)

PGA TOUR, INC. V. MARTIN (2000) A brief overview of the case: Should a golfer with a congenital leg disease have the right to use a golf cart in professional golf tournaments? In the case of PGA Tour, Inc. v. Martin (2000), the justices of the US Supreme Court disagreed. Their disagreement turned in part on competing views about whether walking the course is essential to the game of golf. To what extent does the debate about using golf carts call into question the athletic nature of golf and the honor due to those who excel at it? PGA Tour, Inc. v. Martin (2000) No. 00-24. SUPREME COURT OF THE UNITED STATES Decided May 29, 2001 Justice Stevens delivered the opinion of the Court. This case raises two questions concerning the application of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, 104 Stat. 328, 42 U.S.C. 12101 et seq., to a gifted athlete: first, whether the Act protects access to professional golf tournaments by a qualified entrant with a disability; and second, whether a disabled contestant may be denied the use of a golf cart because it would “fundamentally alter the nature” of the tournaments, 12182(b)(2)(A)(ii), to allow him to ride when all other contestants must walk. At trial, petitioner did not contest the conclusion that Martin has a disability covered by the ADA, or the fact “that his disability prevents him from walking the course during a round of golf.” 994 F. Supp. 1242, 1244 (Ore. 1998). Rather, petitioner asserted that the condition of walking is a substantive rule of competition, and that waiving it as to any individual for any reason would fundamentally alter the nature of the competition. Petitioner’s evidence included the testimony of a number of experts, among them some of the greatest golfers in history. Arnold Palmer,13 Jack Nicklaus,14 and Ken Venturi15 explained that fatigue can be a critical factor in a tournament, particularly on the last day when psychological pressure is at a maximum. Their