No Pregnant Pause at Women's Open

No Pregnant Pause at Women’s Open

L.A. Times Archives

May 31, 2001 12 AM PT

From Times Wire Services

SOUTHERN PINES, N.C. — Brenda Corrie Kuehn has taken to wearing men’s shorts and extra-large shirts and drinking lots of fluids to cope with the difficulties of playing golf while eight months pregnant.

What she can’t do, though, is use a motorized golf cart to help her get around the course.

Unlike the men’s PGA Tour, where the U.S. Supreme Court ruled Tuesday that disabled golfer Casey Martin will be allowed to use a golf cart, pregnant competitors on the LPGA Tour aren’t allowed to use a cart.

“To my knowledge there has never been a request,” LPGA Commissioner Ty Votaw said. “But even if there was, there’s no structure in place that contemplates the use of a cart for pregnancy. Therefore, the request would be denied.”

And that’s fine with Kuehn, 36, an amateur and mother who qualified to play in the U.S. Women’s Open beginning today at the Pine Needles Lodge & Golf Club.

“I don’t think I would ever think about asking for a cart,” said Kuehn, who has had three ultrasounds and received permission from her physician to play in the tournament. “I don’t feel like I have a disability, even if it’s temporary,” she said. “I see [pregnancy] as part of normal, everyday life.”

While Kuehn will walk more than 14 miles during the four days of competition, she said she’s not worried about fatigue.

“I’ve gained about 25 pounds and it takes a little bit of a toll on you, but I’ve tried to stay active the whole pregnancy,” she said. “I’m active all the time. The only thing I begged the doctor was no bed rest, because I don’t think I could deal with that.”

Though she didn’t asked for a cart, Kuehn did have one request for the U.S. Open organizers.

“I’ve tried to get a map in detail of where the bathrooms are,” she said. “I’m hoping to not get a two-stroke penalty for slow play.”