(2019 PGA Championship, used a cart with exemption due to medical issues)
There’s always one moment in every golf major that breaks from tradition and sparks debate across the clubhouse. In 2019, that moment came rolling—literally—when John Daly cruised down the fairways of Bethpage Black in a golf cart, puffing on a cigarette and declaring, “Walking’s for losers.”
But behind the smirk and the swagger was a more complicated story.
The Cart That Launched a Thousand Opinions
John Daly’s decision to use a golf cart at the 2019 PGA Championship wasn’t a stunt. It was about survival—specifically, surviving 18 holes at one of the most demanding courses on the major championship circuit. At 53 years old, Daly was dealing with severe osteoarthritis in his right knee. Walking downhill, he said, was torture. “My knee is screwed,” he told reporters. “I have osteoarthritis so bad… I can walk up a hill, I just can’t walk down one.”
This wasn’t just wear and tear from decades of playing. It was degenerative. Chronic. The kind of pain that makes everyday movement miserable, let alone navigating the sloped, punishing terrain of Bethpage.
Applying Under the ADA: More Than Just Paperwork
Daly wasn’t granted a cart just because of who he was. He went through the full Americans with Disabilities Act application process with the PGA of America, submitting medical documentation and undergoing review by their internal team.
The PGA eventually approved his request—making Daly the first golfer since Casey Martin to use a cart in a major. It was a rare, structured exception. And it wasn’t granted lightly. As Chief Championships Officer Kerry Haigh put it, the committee “agreed that it justified the use of a golf cart” after a thorough review.
There were even logistical meetings about how the cart would maneuver around the course. Ironically, Bethpage Black’s rugged layout made it “less convenient than walking,” according to PGA CEO Seth Waugh. So no, this wasn’t a shortcut. It was damage control.
Tiger Weighs In (Like Only Tiger Can)
Golf’s goat couldn’t help but chime in. When asked about Daly’s cart usage, Tiger Woods dropped one of the most biting one-liners of the week: “Well, I walked with a broken leg, so…”
It was classic Tiger. Stoic, sharp—and, in this case, slightly dismissive. Daly later said he wished Tiger “had all the facts.” Because while Tiger’s famous limp to victory at the 2008 U.S. Open was legendary, his injury was repairable. Daly’s wasn’t.
The difference? Daly’s condition didn’t come with a fix. He was told a full knee replacement wasn’t an option. So he gutted it out another way—with wheels instead of boots.
Faldo Frowns, Nantz Nods
Nick Faldo didn’t love it either. He echoed a traditionalist view, saying, “Walking is an integral part of being a pro golfer.” And he’s not wrong—at least, historically. Golf is as much a mental and physical grind as it is a game of skill.
But others were more supportive. CBS’s Jim Nantz shrugged off the drama, saying, “I’m happy he’s playing. I don’t have a big issue with this.”
And Casey Martin—the man whose legal battle paved the way for Daly’s exemption—was firmly in Daly’s corner. “He’s not trying to get an advantage,” Martin said. “He just wants to play.”
That right there is the heart of it.
Daly Felt the Heat, But Kept Going
This wasn’t just a technical exception for Daly. It was deeply personal—and, frankly, awkward.
“I hope I don’t get a lot of grief from the fans,” he said before teeing off. Bethpage Black’s crowds are notoriously vocal. You could feel the tension: Was he being brave? Or bending the rules?
He admitted the whole thing felt “very awkward” and “almost embarrassing.” Not exactly the attitude of someone trying to cheat the game.
But Daly also made it clear: he didn’t want a handout. He wanted to compete. “I won the PGA,” he said. “I’m a past champion and there’s no way I’m walking. But I just feel obligated and I really want to play.”
It wasn’t a power move. It was a plea.
A Precedent Set Long Before
Daly’s cart wasn’t the first—and it won’t be the last. His ability to use one hinged on a 2001 Supreme Court decision in PGA Tour, Inc. v. Martin. That ruling, which backed Casey Martin’s right to use a cart, set a precedent under the ADA: if walking isn’t fundamental to golf’s competitive nature, reasonable accommodations should be allowed.
In other words, the essence of golf is the swing, the decision-making, the nerves—not the walk between shots.
This was never about convenience. It was about access.
More Than Just a Ride
So was Daly’s cart a mockery of the game, as some headlines claimed? Or was it a reminder that golf, even at the highest level, can—and should—find room for players with limitations?
If anything, Daly’s cart became a rolling symbol of that tension: between old-school grit and modern inclusion, between gatekeeping and evolving tradition.
And for better or worse, he owned it. With every roll down the fairway, he forced the sport—and all of us watching—to wrestle with what really matters.
Maybe walking is for losers. Or maybe walking just isn’t the only way to play.