NEW YORK -- Casey Martin was the Oregon golf coach that successfully sued the PGA Tour to allow him to use a cart due to a rare circulatory disorder. He had his right leg amputated in a move he said to Golf Digest was "my destiny."
Martin had surgery on Friday. The magazine reported that Martin was in recovery at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester. His brother stated that doctors felt it went well enough to give Martin a chance at an effective prosthesis.
Martin suffered from Klippel-Trenaunay-Weber syndrome, which restricted circulation in the lower portion of his right leg and made it virtually impossible for him to walk 18 holes. He was able to play and practice well enough to be eligible for a PGA Tour card in 2000.
His lawsuit, citing the Americans with Disabilities Act, made it to the U.S. Supreme Court. In a 2001 decision, 7-2 voted in his favor.
Martin was a Stanford teammate of Tiger Woods' and has been Oregon's head golf coach since 2006. In 2012, he qualified for the U.S. Open.
Martin, 49, had broken his right leg two-years ago. The magazine reported that he was in a cast at the time and that a series injections had failed to heal it.
Martin said that he had "in many ways exceeded" what his doctors had told him as a child. Martin spoke to Golf Digest two week ago. "I knew this was my destiny from the beginning. It's strange to be here, about to become severely disfigured, but it's not unheard of."
Jeff Quinney, 2000 U.S. Martin will be accompanied by Jeff Quinney, an amateur champion and coach at Oregon.
