Casey Martin will make his debut as the first riding member of the PGA Tour in the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic.
Martin, who successfully sued the tour to use a cart because of a circulatory disorder that makes it difficult for him to walk 18 holes, earned his card by finishing 14th on the 1999 Nike Tour money list.
Because he is well down the list of exempt players, Martin sought a sponsor's exemption into the Jan. 19-23 Hope Classic in Bermuda Dunes, Calif.
"We are happy to have a person like Casey Martin in our field," said tournament chairman Bob Brennan. "He has had to work harder than most to overcome adversity. We were happy to extend a sponsor's exemption to him."
While most of the attention has been on Martin's cart, his game is proven. He qualified for the U.S. Open at Olympic Club last year and tied for 23rd. He played two other PGA Tour events in 1998 on sponsor's exemptions -- the Canon Greater Hartford Open, where he missed the cut, and the Quad Cities Classic, where he tied for 66th.
Martin has a congenital malformation of the blood vessels in his right leg, causing severe swelling and pain.
