Tiger Woods not a fan of the PGA’s decision to allow John Daly to use a cart
Daly applied for, and was granted, use of the cart under the Americans with Disabilities Act because of an arthritic right knee.
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FARMINGDALE, N.Y. — Since he amazed the golf world in 1991, when he captured the PGA Championship as the ninth alternate, John Daly has remained one of the more popular players in the game.
However, the fact that he applied for, and won, approval to use a cart at this week’s PGA at Bethpage Black because of an arthritic right knee has been greeted with mixed reactions, the most terse coming Tuesday from Tiger Woods.
“As far as J.D. taking a cart,” he said, “well, I walked with a broken leg, so …”
Woods was referring to the 2008 U.S. Open at Torrey Pines, where he walked with a noticeable limp for five straight days: four rounds and a 19-hole playoff. He was diagnosed a few days later with a double stress fracture of his left tibia and a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee.
Kerry Haigh, chief championships officer for the PGA of America, said that when players fill out entry information for the tournament, they may report any concern under the Americans with Disabilities Act “and give the reasons for the exemption that he or she may want to apply for.”
“In this case, John went through the process, sent in the information that we request of any and all players that this applies to. We have a committee that meets, which includes a medical expert, and they review the information. It was agreed that it justified the use of a golf cart for the championship.”
Haigh said the ADA committee made the final call.
In a recent interview with the Associated Press, Daly said “my knee is screwed.”
“I had the meniscus cut out,” he said. "I have osteoarthritis so bad ... I can walk up a hill; I just can’t walk down one.''
Haigh said that Daly, 53, will use a golf cart without a canopy and that he will meet with the player to “just talk through where he can go and can’t go.
“Obviously, there’s some places on this golf course where you can’t get a golf cart to,” Haigh said. “We try and use common sense, what’s reasonable, what’s fair for the protection both of the player and those issues as well as the playing of a major championship.”
A public golf course, Bethpage Black does not allow the use of carts for daily play.