Davis Love III was recently asked about former PGA Tour star Greg Norman's calls to Commissioner Tim Finchem to institute a drug testing policy for the sport. Love said he did not want to talk about anything Norman was saying and, basically, offered little opinion on the developing issue of doping in professional golf. Finchem has denied the need for testing, along with Love and others, saying that he personally feels he is aware of what is going on in the locker rooms of his Tour stops and that drug testing would just be unnecessary.
Around the same time, Tiger Woods was asked about the subject of drug testing in golf. He disagreed with the naysayers and basically said to bring it on — that the sport could benefit from testing and it would clear the name of the game before it could ever be besmirched by vicious rumors, like Major League Baseball (which turned out to be embarrassing fact, too) was.
Of course, if you have ever read my writing, you know who I'm going to side with here. Tiger Woods, Joey Sindelar, Greg Norman, and other advocates for drug testing are right. The key part here is that they are right on multiple levels to call for drug testing and Commissioner Finchem should start listening to their logic immediately.
Let's be realistic, unlike the Commish — drug use is pervasive in sports. It was, and may still be, rampant in professional baseball, cycling (where almost everyone dopes), and exists in the NFL, despite a pretty good drug policy. With BALCO, Floyd Landis, and Marion Jones potentially damaging their sports in perpetuity because of greedy attempts to get ahead, doping and performance enhancement rumors have crept into almost every sport, including golf.
It is unrealistic to believe that drug use has not crept into this great game. After all, with the dominance that Tiger Woods has personally exhibited in the last decade on the Tour, there are a lot of excuses to try to get ahead or even survive. Woods brought to the sport a concept of fitness and diet that quite frankly did not exist before he hit the scene. This caused veterans to remind themselves of what a weight room and stationary bike look like. Despite the best efforts of many players, they continue to struggle a decade later. Thus, the Tour veterans have a reason to rub on a little of the "clear."
Even the younger guns have motivation. While they largely came into their golfing own during the Tiger Era (which will span about 40 years), they still lag behind Woods in talent and physique apparently. No player under 30 has made a significant challenge to Woods on any stage other than Sergio Garcia — and even he chokes every time.
Desperate times create desperate measures. Look no further than the aforementioned Floyd Landis. The urine sample captured from Landis came right around the time of his dramatic comeback stage in the Tour de France that closed an eight-minute gap and nearly secured the title for the American. Who is to say, especially the Commissioner, that any player in any tournament would not consider doing the same thing if they believed it may help their chances?
If the Tiger-desperation argument does not do it for you, then here's something else to consider. The way professional golf is played has dramatically changed in the past 10 years and at an accelerated pace in the last five. Anyone with half of a brain can recognize that golf is now a power game, thanks to innovations in club and ball technology. Players that cannot keep up are generally left in the dust on typical Tour layouts that measure anywhere between 7,300 and 7,500 yards.
The statistical, physical, and psychological disadvantage that shorter hitters face off of the tee and from the fairway must be incredibly daunting. Corey Pavin managed to find a way to win, but on one of the easiest and shortest courses on the Tour roster. He is an exception to the short hitter's dilemma — not proof positive that every distance-challenged golfer is playing by the rules.
The bottom line in all of this is that golfers do not make guaranteed money on Tour. Their livelihood is entirely based upon their ability to play well and earn money in the tournaments they play. If they fail, they lose their card, have to play smaller tours, and are forced to have a much less lucrative lifestyle than they are accustomed to after being on the PGA Tour — where the 125th finisher on the money list in 2005 made a little over $625,000.
No one could seriously tell me that they would not be willing to experiment with performance-enhancing drugs when there is that much money out there to be won and there would be little to no chance of getting caught. Other than the potentially dangerous side effects of such a move, there really is little reason for a player to not give it a shot.
Perhaps the most compelling argument for this recent outcry for drug testing in golf is the prevalence of rumors that players are doping. Most rumors outside of Hollywood have some basis in reality and they only continue to remain active if someone knows or believes the rumors to be true. I am not indicting any Tour player to say that they are illegally trying to enhance their performance. But it is hard for me to believe that rumors of golf doping popped up out of nowhere, have no basis in fact at all, and can simply be denied out of the news.
The rumors and whispers will not go away until the issue is addressed in the open by Tour officials without blanket denials of a need to take responsibility or the potential for a serious problem.
The Tour may gladly choose to blame the USGA for the lack of effective equipment regulation and would have a legitimate argument for doing so. On the issue of devising and implementing a comprehensive drug-testing program, though, the Tour has no excuse.
With the rumors flying, the level of competition and money never higher, players have every incentive to consider taking illegal drugs to improve their play. It could mean the difference between an appearance in invitational events, the majors, or those free paydays called the World Golf Championships. As equipment regulations stall, any host of players could be further left to forage for scraps, while technology, age, and/or fitness issues make a cohort of golfers essentially irrelevant to the proceedings.
The answer is undeniable and simple: the PGA Tour must pilot a drug testing program in 2007 and create a full program for the 2008 season. It is the only way to guarantee to fans, the media, and other golfers that the sport we all enjoy and play with such passion is not being tarnished by a selfish few. Yes, these guys are good — but please guarantee they are naturally good.
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