EUGENE, Ore.-- The Oregon Classic presented by Kendall Auto Group has awarded Casey Martin a sponsor exemption to play in the tournament taking place September 21-24 at Shadow Hills Country Club. Martin is the first of four players to be offered a sponsor exemption; the remaining three exemptions will be announced at a later date.

For Martin, the opportunity to play in the Oregon Classic is important. "It's a huge thing for me to have a home game," he said. "It is exciting for Eugene to have a professional golf event and it's fun to be a part of it." He has been a member of the Nationwide Tour since 1998 and played on the PGA TOUR in 2000. "The Oregon Classic is a big event," Martin said. "Some of the players here will be winning on TOUR and winning majors in the future."

“As a native of Eugene, Martin recently was named the head coach of the University of Oregon men's golf team. He hopes to use coaching as a way to keep his own golf game fresh and to stay competitive. He also hopes to be a different kind of golf coach, using his visibility and TOUR experience to help bring in top recruits, especially those from out of the area. "Being a TOUR level coach will be a key to recruiting players," Martin said. "I want to be a role model, let them learn from my experience, challenge the players." Martin said his continued play in TOUR events will depend on how the team does and what opportunities come his way.

Martin suffers from Klippel-Trenaunay-Webber Syndrome, a birth defect in his right leg, which requires him to use a golf cart during competition. "The leg has struggled this year, but it has my whole life and it's just something that I have to deal with," Martin explained. He said his golf game is not bad right now. "I'm playing fine and putting good. You never know what might happen."

The Oregon Classic is in its 9th year as a part of the Nationwide Tour. Presented by Kendall Auto Group and supported by more than 200 local businesses, the Oregon Classic has become one of the longest tenured events on the Tour. To date, more than $675,000 has been raised to help support local charities. For 2006, Volunteers in Medicine will be the charitable beneficiary of the Oregon Classic. For more information on the tournament and for ticket information, please contact us at (541)242-0677.