Anyone who hasn't heard of pro-golfer Casey Martin by now might wonder why he gets to ride in a golf cart while his competitors walk an 18-hole course. He made the cut to finish in the middle of the pack during his first U.S. Open on the Nike Tour June 1998 and won the Lakeland Classic, another Nike event, earlier in January. But a court decision allows 27-year-old Martin not the luxury but the necessity of a cart. Klippel-Trenaunay-Weber Syndrome has left him with no muscles in his leg.

"The blood goes down into my leg, and it doesn't make it up properly," explains Martin. "So, my leg swells as a result of not having the proper basically pump system."

With the support of the Americans With Disabilities Act and a strong sense of direction from God, Martin took on the Professional Golf Association (PGA) Tour to win the court ruling. The decision of use of a cart during tournaments applies only to him and not in general to all golfers who may have a disability.

The PGA still argues walking is part of tournament golf and is appealing the verdict. In the meantime, Martin plays golf still in considerable pain, even with the help of a cart on the course.

"I have had some bad days," he says. "A lot of aches in my shin, swelling, and a lot of just intense pain."

Martin wears a stocking on his thin leg to keep it compressed. Steve Burdick, a college teammate from their Stanford days, caddies for him and knows firsthand the physical struggles Martin faces just to play.

"I know that God's put me here for a reason to be there for Casey," says Burdick.

Martin's disability attracts media attention, but his shrewd golf game proves he can make any tour leaderboard. He likes diverting the attention to a platform about Jesus and His grace.

"I can tell others about Him, and just give Him the glory," he says.

Martin thanks God for His faithfulness and especially for providing for the needed care of his leg. Knowing God loves him keeps him upbeat.

"I've had to rest on that a lot," he says, "just knowing that God loves us, and that this is just a temporary journey."

Expect to see more of Martin on the PGA Tour. He believes God has always had a plan for him with a disabled leg in golf.