Drugs in golf!

[thecraw]

After Lance Armstrong, even going back as far as Ben Johnson etc I think we would be stupid and naive to bury our heads in the sand and say it doesn't go on. I'm of the opinion it must. Not sure how widespread but when you boil it down I'm convinced that it will go on considering the travel, the fatigue, muscle strain, muscle injuries from practice, feet and leg injuries, hand and wrist injuries, the desire to be fitter and stronger, the need to be seen as an athlete, wanting to hit it longer and longer etc etc.

There were strong mutterings questioning Tigers build etc a few years back. I'm in no way saying he is a drugs cheat as I still like my wee house which isn't big enough for him to even house his golf clubs in but there were rumours going about Tour at that time. Why did these rumours surface? Was it jealousy or was there more to it? I don't know so what are your thoughts???

I believe a lot of whoopsie has still to hit the fan in a lot of sports - including golf!

 

[Imurg]

Do they drug test yet?

If not, they should. Every other sport does, why should Golf be any different

 

[Hacker Khan]

Part of me thinks that athletics and cycling gets a bad rap because they have such a prominent drug testing process. And logically if you test people a lot more then you will find more drug cheats.

I've heard many times the assertion that footballers in the 90s did not suddenly get ripped like a steak and able to run around for 90 minutes at full pace as they need to do in the Premier league by just eating pasta. But then again there's no proof, and drug testing, whilst it does occur (eh Rio) is not such a big issue. But I suspect if a famous name does get caught then it wil lsuddenly become one, and people will start saying why didn't we test more previously etc etc

I think as golf does not rely on strength and endurance as much as many other sports then the need to cheat with drugs is a lot less. But as golfers become more and more buffed up for want of a better phrase, then the temptation must increase.

 

[kev_off_the_tee]

Drugs in golf, I regularly take ibuprofen and wash it down with a super performance enhancing lucozade. I should be banned

 

[Foxholer]

As an Olympic sport, they'll have to sort it out pretty soon.

I don't actually actually believe any 'performance enhancing' drugs have any nett effect in golf, though there could be benefits from 'recovery enhancement' ones like that supposedly in Deer Antler spray.

Testing for 'Recreational' drugs, certainly if they include Caddies, might cause chaos though - allegedly!

 

[USER1999]

I hope they never test for Stella.

It must go on in golf though. Look at the size of the athletes now, and how far they hit the ball. They used to say that there was no benefit in being ripped, but there clearly must be. Golfers now are way more athletic than 20 years ago.

The tours have banned substances, but do not conduct blood tests, as they believe that it is unnecessary. Or, they don't want to find that it isn't.

 

[Doh]

Gary Player said not to long ago that Drug taking does go on in golf. Not many others within the game agreed with him. Take that as you will?

 

[Crawfy]

Sadly, I think that no sport is exempt. The high impact sports which require speed, strength, endurance and quick recovery are the easy targets.
Look at old footage vrs present footage and teh physical development and increase in speed is massive....just down to training ?? mmmm..
This may well be true in golf as physique and strength haveinproved, but there is scope for other enhancements such as Beta-Blockers which will help with lowering heart rate...very handy in pressure sports where calmness and concentration is required ( Golf, snooker etc)
Rightly or wrongly, there is so much money in sport that gaining an advantage is worth a fortune....there lies the temptation, along with the the thought that "everyone else is doing it"

 

[HawkeyeMS]

Gary Player said not to long ago that Drug taking does go on in golf. Not many others within the game agreed with him. Take that as you will?

Gary Player actually said that he has been told by players that they use banned substances but wouldn't name them because he was told in confidence which to me makes him as bad as those taking it.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/golf/2317259/Drugs-in-golf-a-fact-says-Gary-Player.html

 

[Doon frae Troon]

They have been drug testing in amateur golf from the late 1980's.

 

[Hacker Khan]

They have been drug testing in amateur golf from the late 1980's.

How are these drug tests administered?

 

[One Planer]

I personally think any sport is capable of containing drug cheats, including golf.

Any sport where there is cash, fame, accolades and records there will always be a few that will try and get there by any means available to them. Lance Armstrong being a pime example.

I believe sports, including cycling, these days are a lot cleaner than they have been in their past, but there are still cheats out there yet to be caught.

I think Vijay will be the tip of the iceberg for golf. If, after there investigation concludes, they decide to introduce random testing onto both tours then, personally, I think a lot more will be caught out.

 

[Doon frae Troon]

How are these drug tests administered?

If I remember correctly the national anti drug sports squad can drop in at any national competition.

My daughter had a fall off her bike resulting in a badly grazed leg. This was shortly before an England match and I remember her taking the banned substances list to our puzzeled GP. The team photo had a well placed umbrella positioned to hide the damage to her leg.

 

[BoadieBroadus]

i'm not convinced that anyone's getting any great advantage out of drugs in golf, i'm not saying it doesn't happen but i think it's probably more prevalent in injury recovery rather than performance enhancing. there's no one in golf who has a physique that suggests to me anything untoward going on with them. Not even tiger, he's a powerful guy, but i don't see him as having a physique out of the ordinary for someone who takes gym work and physical conditioning seriously.

look at charl schwartzel - hits it a mile but arms on him like pipecleaners.

 

[garyinderry]

beta blockers arent going to help you bust the ball.

 

[Khamelion]

I do not think any sport is exempt from drug abuse, be it performance enahancing or recreational. You can understand though where the temptation comes from, the money, the fame, the accolades all pile pressure on a competitor to partake.

But no risk in this arena is without punishment, Lance Armstrong the prime example, he's lost the respect of his peers, the general public, he lost his sponsors and the endorsements he did and he could now be facing legal action which means he could be facing jail time.

So Vijay has been caught using a product that contains a banned substance, he could claim ignorance but I don't think that will wash and if he is found guilty, then the doors are thrown open for testing in golf to be become a regular process.

On a side note, I think regular drug testing should be used in all walks of life, most businesses do not want staff arriving drunk or hungover. If at my last place of work, there had been a random drugs test on the tech floor, the company would have lost 85% of its staff, including a lot of managers.

 

[joe nustedt]

I agree with others on here that I can't imagine 'performance'-enhancing drugs could have much of a benefit for golf players, but that being said it is a highly competitive sport (like most others) and players will be looking for any edge possible, and therefore IMO it's likely that some are taking drugs.

 

[Doh]

beta blockers arent going to help you bust the ball.

And I am living proof as I'm on them permanently after my Heart Op. ;(

 

[Deleted member 3432]

I agree with others on here that I can't imagine 'performance'-enhancing drugs could have much of a benefit for golf players, but that being said it is a highly competitive sport (like most others) and players will be looking for any edge possible, and therefore IMO it's likely that some are taking drugs.

I'm sure there are lots of substances that could be 'performance enhancing' it golf. There must be loads of stuff to help calm nerves etc, imagine how that would help on the greens, no long putters needed as the 'yips' are eliminated.

Golf to me as it stands, is burying its head in the sand if it is not concerned about drugs in the sport as theres too much money in the game for someone, somewhere not trying to get an unfair advantage.

 

[Hacker Khan]

There's no one in golf who has a physique that suggests to me anything untoward going on with them. Not even tiger, he's a powerful guy, but i don't see him as having a physique out of the ordinary for someone who takes gym work and physical conditioning seriously.

Lance Armstrong was hardly ripped like a freaking steak (obscure Fighting Talk reference ahoy) though was he.