The golfing world has awoken this week to the news that John Daly has successfully won approval to use a golf cart when he takes his place at the PGA Championship. The decision appears to be somewhat contentious with some players feeling that this should not be allowed at this level of golf. However, the application was submitted to the Americans with Disabilities Act policy, and they have seen fit to issue their approval as bonusbets.comreports.
It is New York that plays host to PGA championship this year, and the competition will take place on the Bethpage Black golf course in a tournament that kicks off on 16 May. Nick Faldo who is a six-time winning major champion is one of the players who feels that the decision is wrong. He recently spoke at an event organised by CBS to promote their coverage at the event and made his feelings clear. He said “I think walking is an integral part of being a pro golfer. I’ll leave it at that.”
No official reason has been given as to why Daly saw fit to apply to use a cart, but the speculation is that it refers to his right knee issue which has troubled him in the past. Last year the 53-year-old player pulled out of the US senior open because his knee was too painful. It later emerged that he had applied to use the cart then in order to avoid having to walk between holes; however, it was turned down. We know that he does suffer from osteoarthritis in his knee and it is an ongoing condition which has seen him return to stem cell therapy in an attempt to get things better. It would seem that his knee remained a problem, and when he withdrew last year, he tweeted “Just going to give the knee a rest. Don’t know what’s ahead for me.”
He is a long-standing player with a significant history in 1991 he was the winner of the PGA Championships and has been a player in most events since. Because of his age, he became eligible to join the senior circuit which is designed for players who are over the age of 50. This circuit has no restriction on the use of a cart, and he has been able to use the golf cart during these tournaments. It is understandable that he’s frustrated by the denial in the past as the two-time major champion has contributed much to the sport. He will be the first player to use a golf cart at PGA Championship, but Casey Martin also used his cart at the US Open. He was also met with an adverse decision; he is a disabled player who was born with a defect in his leg which means that the circulation is restricted and causes him immense pain. The decision to disallow the use of the cart on the PGA Tour saw him take his case to the United States Supreme Court and appeal the decision. However, it was their feelings and the subsequent ruling that they made that the tour could make and dictate its own policies on such issues.