For the first time in almost a decade, a player will be using a golf cart during a major championship. According to the AP, John Daly has been granted permission by the PGA of America to ride in a cart during competition in next week’s PGA Championship at Bethpage Black.
The 53-year-old, who is in the field thanks to the lifetime exemption earned from his 1991 PGA Championship victory, received access to wheels under the Americans with Disabilities Act, according to the AP. Daly suffers from osteoarthritis in his right knee.
Daly withdrew from the U.S. Senior Open last year after his request for a cart under the ADA was denied. Daly’s knee problems also sidelined him from the Open Championship, although he was able to tee it up at Bellerive for the PGA Championship. He regularly plays on the Champions Tour, which allows its players to use golf carts during competition. He has not walked in an official event since the European Tour’s Omega European Masters last fall.
The last player to use a cart during a major was Casey Martin at the 2012 U.S. Open. Martin famously battled the PGA Tour for the right to ride in tournaments through the ADA, ultimately winning his suit. Martin also used a cart at the 1998 U.S. Open.
Daly has made just one cut at the PGA Championship since 2007, finishing T-12 at Kiawah Island in 2012. He lasted played Bethpage Black in competition at the 2002 U.S. Open, finishing T-70.
The 101st PGA Championship starts on May 16. Brooks Koepka is the defending champ.
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