The PGA Tour will adopt a drug policy and random testing in 2008. The times we live in. Sheesh.
Jim Furyk shouldn’t have any problems. He takes prescriptions for allergies, and when his neck acts up he pops an Alleve.
Still, Jim thought it would be a good idea to read the new policy, so he pulled it up on his Blackberry.
“It was like 41 pages,” Furyk told the AP. “I got to page two on the Blackberry and realized there were 39 more pages to go. Forty-one pages of that? I don’t think I can do it.
“I may read if it I feel it’s necessary. For me, the idea is to make sure we can go to the workshops and have all the people in place to help us out.”
The policy manual lists 10 categories of prohibited substances that include anabolic steroids, human growth hormones, narcotics and beta blockers.
According to the story I read a couple of days ago, Tiger was about midway through the manual. Zach Johnson hadn’t read a word — he sent it to his trainer for review. There’s a mandatory drug policy meeting for players in January. Random testing will begin July 8.
The sad thing is at some point — I don’t know when — a Tour player will fail. (I guess it’s already happened overseas with an Italian golfer, I believe.) If we don’t think it could happen in golf, we’re probably naïve.
The Armchair Golfer
Like Reagan said, “Trust but verify.” There’s too much money out there to believe that one of these guys won’t cheat to get it.
I would be very, very surprised if I found out that no player on the PGA Tour has used any of the substances that are now banned (if it were possible to know for certain).
People who think that steroids are only for muscle building and they’re useless in golf are sadly mistaken.
Quicker recovery time, and less wear-down through a long season would be such a boost. Anyone who’s played four rounds in a row knows how tiring it is. Now add in a pro-am, practice round, range time, workouts, etc. Then multiply it over several months. You can see how guys who go at it hard all summer could wear down.
But, let them take something to mitigate that and then we’re talking about someone who has an advantage over the field. With millions on the line, people will go to extremes.
I think Beta Blockers (slow down the heartbeat) are probably the main problem they might find on the tour.
Let’s not kid ourselves, however, the problem is everywhere.
Too bad it’s come to this, but better to do something now before there’s a real mess — like baseball. Maybe it would never get that bad, but nothing much surprises me any more.
Good call, Double Eagle…
With all the back & shoulder problems these guys go thru, steroids would seem like a good fit for Tour pros trying to get an edge.
I guess this is what you would call a “preventative measure” by the PGA. But I would argue that steroid use by golfers wouldn’t necessarily translate into lower scores and therefore, wouldn’t give someone an ‘edge’.
Why?
Because you still have make your putts which takes focus and control. I imagine steroids would impede these attributes.
Agree? Disagree?
Jeff
http://www.inbetween18.com
Jeff: Good point — you do have to make the putts. Maybe that’s where the beta blockers come in …