Stanford All-American Casey Martin ('95) is interviewed by the Golf Channel.
Conversation With Casey Martin
BY CASEY BIERER
Editor’s Note: Born in Eugene, Ore., and educated at Stanford, former professional Casey Martin is coach of the University of Oregon men's golf team. Martin was a three-time All Pac-10 selection and was a member of an NCAA Championship team in 1994. He turned pro in 1995 and played on the Nationwide and PGA tours. Martin’s lawsuit in 2001 with the PGA Tour for the right to use a golf cart during competition is well-documented. He was named Ducks coach in 2006. Golf Channel reporter Casey Bierer recently sat down with Martin before his team opened its spring season in Hawaii at the Hilo Invitational Feb. 4.
Casey Bierer: Coach Martin. It's a new year and a lot going on in your life. Let’s start with the University of Oregon’s golf team. What is the state of your Ducks?
Casey Martin: We are very young, but, we are working hard. We did not have a great fall season. But, we have some great players. I have ten guys on my team. I’ve got one senior, five sophomores and four freshmen. And during the fall we played three freshmen and two sophomores in all the events. So, we’re really young and we kind of took our licks in some of the bigger tournaments. But, the kids are getting valuable experience and I am really excited about the future.
CB: You have developed a reputation for recruiting gritty players. What’s your philosophy?
CM: I think everyone has there own bias and point of view on life. Certainly, I love a pretty golf swing as much as anyone else, but, I really try in my recruiting to not just fall in love with a kid because of his pretty golf swing. I’ve tried to watch how kids compete and look at who is focusing on their scores and how they play rather than just how they swing. And it’s kind of worked out that way where I’ve got a fair number of players that don’t really have swing coaches. They just like to go and compete. And that doesn’t bother me at all because that’s how I used to play. I didn’t have a swing coach until much later in life and I think that does influence how I recruit. I don’t automatically go after cookie cutter kids out of the golf academies. Some kids can’t afford to play all the AJGA events but that doesn’t mean they don’t have a lot of game. You have to know where to go and how to find those kids.
CB: What’s the learning curve been like for you – taking your talents as a professional golfer and transitioning to coaching college golf?
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