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Daly said he is plagued by osteoarthritis in
his right knee and unable to walk The Broadmoor course in
Colorado Springs, Colo. The tournament begins Thursday.
He revealed the situation on his Twitter account.
"Unfortunately--I had to WD from the US SENIOR OPEN. The
deteriorating osteoarthritis isn't helping my rt knee. I fall
under the @ADANational but @USGA turned down a cart for me this
week. Just going to give the knee a rest. Don't know what's
ahead for me."
The USGA responded with a statement through its own Twitter
account, saying Daly didn't meet the guidelines of the American
Disabilities Act (ADA).
"His submission did not support a waiver of the walking
condition. We offered Mr. Daly the opportunity to provide
additional information to support his request for a cart. He
informed us this morning that he decided to withdraw," the USGA
wrote.
Daly, 52, said his lawyers informed him he is eligible to use a
cart under the ADA. The USGA disagrees and said Daly's injury
isn't severe enough to grant him a cart.
Another golfer, Scott Verplank, who suffers from diabetes, was
granted use of a cart.
"He can compete when he has a cart," Daly told USA Today of
Verplank. "But when you're hurt like I am, and this falls under
the umbrella of the ADA -- no doubt, I've researched it a little
bit and my lawyers have researched it -- we've sent nice letters
(to the USGA) but nobody seems to want to approve it."
The golf tours are subject to following the ADA due to the 2001
Supreme Court decision in PGA Tour vs. Martin. At the time, the
PGA refused to allow golfer Casey Martin, who had a circulatory
condition that hindered his walking, to use a golf cart. But the
Supreme Court ruled that the ADA obligates the PGA to
accommodate players who met the requirements for using a cart
during competition.
Meanwhile, Daly told USA Today that he will undergo arthroscopic
surgery to have loose cartilage removed from the troublesome
knee. He said the procedure will take place on Friday.
--Field Level Media
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