On The Sidelines

Casey Martin, the disabled golfer, who won a court fight for the right to use a buggy in competition, has qualified for next week's 98th US Open. Martin sank a 25-foot putt on the second extra hole to win a five-way playoff for a berth at his first major championship next week at The Olympic Club in San Francisco.

"I've set no goal for myself. I just try to do my best," Martin said. "It will bother me some because I'll be one of the centres of attention, but it certainly will be one of the highlights of my life."

Martin, 26, will become the first golfer to compete in a PGA Tour event using a cart and it will be Martin's first test against many of the PGA Tour players who were against his quest to use a cart in competition.

"I will say, `Hi,' and agree to disagree. I'm not going to make an issue of it," Martin said.

In February, Martin won his lawsuit against the PGA Tour and was granted the right to use a cart to play golf. He won his first start on the US Nike Tour but has since struggled and stands 11th on its money list.

Martin's cart stalled three holes into his second round at the 36hole qualification event, forcing him to walk briefly despite a circulatory disorder that makes such effort taxing. "I must have just kicked the ignition off," said Martin, who had five birdies in the first round and shot a 67.

The last week has also been one of contrasting fortunes for two other golfers. Sandy Lyle has found his career in a bad lie and cannot get out while 25-year-old Lee Westwood has taken flight into big-time earning.

Lyle, who earned a 10 year exemption by winning the 1988 US Masters, is now in his final year of that exemption and looks destined to struggle.

A par, par finish last week would have given the Scot a share of third place in the Kemper Open and a six-figure cheque. Instead, Lyle returned a quintuple bogey eight and a bogey. Shattered, the former champion now lies 149th in the US Order of Merit with a bleak future ahead.

Westwood is approaching on course earnings of £2 million and flies out to the US Open this week having won nine tournaments in the last two years. Major wins are being predicted for the talented Englishman while time is fast running out for the older Scot. Who would have guessed this scenario a decade ago?

Ireland's first purpose built "Field of Dreams" Baseball facility will be officially opened at a ceremony on Sunday, July 4th in Corkagh Park, Clondalkin. The development includes a regulation "Little League" baseball field and an international standard senior field capable of hosting international events and tournaments.

The project has been funded by Irish American Peter O'Malley, former owner and president of the Los Angeles Dodgers. O'Malley's donation of $140,000 to the construction of the field marks the third time that he has been involved in such an international venture.

Corkagh Park, a regional park managed by South Dublin County Council, will play host to a number of luminaries including O'Malley, Jean Kennedy Smith (US Ambassador to Ireland) and president of the Olympic Council of Ireland Pat Hickey for the opening. Aldo Notari, president of the International Baseball Federation and baseball Hall of Fame player, Tommy Lasorda, will also attend the ceremony.

One thing the Irish proponents of the game may want to avoid is baseball players' penchant for chewing tobacco. A check of players in the US Major Leagues found that 59 per cent of those who volunteered for an oral examination had tobacco-related lesions. Eleven per cent were serious enough to need biopsies to detect possible cancer. Between 30 per cent and 40 per cent of players apparently chew tobacco. Just say no, kids.

Dr Betty Coady, the sports mind-bender was airing her thoughts on golf during the week. And how right she was. Pointing to the fact that there are rules in place to test golfers for illegal substances (not big-headed drivers), she noted that the PGA rarely, if ever, test their members.

This is, indeed, a curious position. Given the honesty of golfers who regularly call shots on themselves for minor infringements, it seems odd that regular and thorough testing is not applied given the amount of money now involved in the sport. The very reason that testing is carried out in other sports is to protect the honest players from the dishonest players - with a possible scandal being deemed worth the risk. Substances such as beta blockers would clearly be of benefit in steadying players while putting, while a whole array of substances can keep minds sharper and bodies fresher over the long haul of a Major weekend. When, or if, golf ever hits the Olympic Games, the current leniency may not be tolerated.

Given the sectarian turmoil and animosity regularly associated with a number of Irish League soccer clubs, a recent five-a-side competition, won by Glenavon, turned out to be quite a success. The event has also secured a memorable sponsor. Those teams who play the tournament on annual basis will now compete for the Blood Donor Perpetual Cup!

Breath football. Sleep football. Now, eat football. Marks and Spencer's new Football Fever Match Meal features five chicken footballers and five potato footballs - a culinary theme park on your plate. Originally, we had the authentic World Cup knife, much to the horror of the British authorities. Now, at least they can put them to some small use carving up their most despised Premiership footballers on the plate.

Football Fever cake and solid chocolate footballers also offer kiddies other crazy possibilities for the perfect World Cup.

According to the Professional Footballers' Association (PFA) there is a record number of footballers now available on free transfers. Normally there have been around 400 players on the list and most of those usually get fixed up with clubs.

But because of the Bosman ruling there are now 591 floating around trying to carve out the best deal possible, turning the market into a merry-go-round. In the Premiership, 103 players have been given free transfers with nine, who are over 24-years-old and out of contract, entitled to leave without a fee.

What worries the PFA is the same thing that would concern any union i.e., because of the numbers now involved in finding clubs, some players may find themselves out of a job come August.

Please send any correspondence to On The Sidelines, Sports Dept, The Irish Times, 11-15 D'Olier Street, Dublin 2 or e-mail emalone@irish-times.ie