Undeniably the presence of Tiger Woods has brought the subject of physical fitness to professional golf. He is the exception rather than the rule, so I believe that most golfers would, in fact, benefit from taking a motorized golf cart when faced with the circumstances that a PGA Tour player faces weekly. Walking an average golf course on the PGA Tour involves well over 5 miles per day; not only for the 4 days of the event proper, but for the Tuesday practice round and the Wednesday Pro-Am round. So in excess of 30 miles per week is covered and usually for a duration of about 30 weeks throughout the season. I think that it's safe to assume that most golfers would be a lot more fresh to play their game if they were riding versus walking. Granted, most Tour players would say that walking helps them pace themselves better during a round of golf. Now, at the crux of this whole matter is whether or not Casey Martin derives an advantage from riding rather than walking. Most who have seen him struggle to try and walk around a golf course would probably say that he's not truly gaining an advantage by riding but merely avoiding being at a distinct disadvantage among his peers. In truth, it allows him to be competitive. He is a talented golfer who probably could not compete on Tour without the aid of a cart.

What if the PGA allowed every golfer to take a cart? Would it be that big of a deal?

I believe it would simply mean that everyone was being treated equally. I'm quite sure that the more fit Tour players (Tiger Woods, David Duval, etc.) would soon complain that the advantage in conditioning that they had worked so hard for was being negated. I firmly believe, however, that the same skilled players would be winning and that the money list would look very similar to how it does now. I also believe that there is a certain stigma to golf that says golfers are not athletes, and allowing them to take carts would only enhance what I think is one of the few negatives the professional game has.

Are we talking about preserving protocol strictly for the sake of tradition?

Definitely that is a factor here. Golf is governed by entities like the United States Golf Association, The Royal & Ancient Club of St. Andrews, and the Professional Golfers Association of America. The youngest of these bodies was formed in 1916, and they definitely aim to preserve the original intent of the game from its rules to its equipment and everything in between. To that end, none would deny that golf from its infancy has been "a walking game." Motorized carts were a convenience, first for the rich and later for everyone, that have never been accepted at the professional level. We see so many other aspects of sports and society where tradition has been ignored, not for the greater good but because we can make advances.

Is preventing Casey Martin from taking a cart not a form of discrimination?

Tough question. This is perhaps where the fuzziest gray lines exist in this discussion. Personally, I believe the closer you are to one side of the issue, the more fervent you are in believing the rationale of that particular side. Would it be a shame if a talented striker of the golf ball like Casey Martin could not compete because he can't walk 30 miles a week? Of course! But where do we stop making concessions, what physical infirmity is too extreme to compensate for? It is more clear in team sports where players are cut because others are better, but in golf, the competitions themselves determine whether or not you belong.

Does the PGA's opposition to Martin's request add to what some believe is a soiled image as an elitist and exclusionary organization?

I definitely think this is so. The PGA Tour is in a no-win situation on this one. They are seen as heartless if they don't allow Martin to play using a cart, and if they do allow it they are possibly opening up a Pandora's box of potential situations. They are at a disadvantage due to their history as well. The PGA Tour lifted their "Caucasian only" policy only as recently as 1964, leading many to a feeling of elitism. This is a fight that I'm sure they hoped would never come along.

Now that both sides have been able to present their case, should Casey Martin be allowed to play with a cart or should the PGA rule be upheld?

I'd prefer to stay on the fence on this one, but that wouldn't be any fun so... I'm going to say that the Tour should allow Martin to use a cart in the belief that the repeat of such a situation would be very unlikely. They just cannot afford the public relations backlash that this situation is capable of and I believe that Commissioner Tim Finchem is smart enough to understand this as well. The worst possible scenario would be to take away the cart and for TV viewers to have to watch Casey Martin limp around for the rest of the current season, drumming up sympathy in a way that would hurt the Tour badly.