US Open Golf 2012: Casey Martin Arguably the Most Grateful Participant

Casey Martin may not have been the best golfer at the Olympic Club in San Francisco, but he certainly put on an inspiring performance.

"It was a special day. I'm really thankful that I played decently, but man it's a stress out there," Martin said after his first round score of 74. 

Martin bogeyed five of the first six holes, but calmed down and got a birdie on the seventh. He then hit par or better on every hole for the rest of round except one.

In his second round, he played extremely well on the back nine again and bogeyed just one hole. He finished that round with a score 75.

The 40-year-old suffers from a birth defect that causes poor circulation in his leg and causes sever pain.

He successfully sued the PGA Tour over his right to use a cart during events and took the case all the way to the Supreme Court. Legendary golfers Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer were among those who testified against Martin.

Despite the controversy, Martin persevered and continued to compete professionally, although he was never that successful due to his condition.

He has not competed in the last six years and is currently the head coach of the golf team at the University of Oregon.

After spending so much time away from competition, Martin’s qualification for the tournament is remarkable. As Mike Davis, the executive director of the United States Golf Association, said, via Jim Axelrod of CBSNews.com, "Any year I'd say 75 to 85 spots for 9,000 people to try to qualify for. To have (Martin) virtually leave the game and to have him come back and qualify for an event at this level, it's almost beyond belief."

Martin not only qualified, but played at a competitive level at the tournament. Regardless of one’s opinion on his lawsuit, his performance over the past two days has been one to remember.

View more videos and watch the tournament live at the U.S. Open’s website.