Golf Styles, September 2007
Many people are skeptical that performance enhancing drugs are used by tour golf professionals. And while some fitness experts claim these drugs are not beneficial to golfers, a cloud of doubt hangs over the sport.
I don’t think there is a drug that would help a golfer,” according to Aaron Bada, founder of the Golf Specific Fitness Player Development Center in SomersPoint.
“Steroids might build strength for driving and something else might relieve anxieties that could help wi.th focus, but they contradict each other,”said Bada. “Muscle strength and endurance-specific drugs would enhance performance, but flexibility is essential and swing mechanics are crucial to successful participation. The golf swing must stay within guidelines relative to your body. Steroids would likely alter the balance of this. That’s why I’m surprised the PGA is pursuing drug testing.”
He’s not alone. Many people are skeptical that performance enhancing drugs are used by tour golf professionals. Nonetheless, the PGA Tour and other tour organizations worldwide will have a policy for performance- enhancing drugs and drug-testing procedures ready to roll out by the end of this year.
There is actually a current policy which prohibits PGA Tour members from using illegal performance-enhancing drugs and gives the commissioner authority to utilize drug testing and impose penalties. But there are a number of products to increase performance that are not illegal. So for some time the Tour has been looking to develop a better policy.
As Tour commissioner Tim Finchem recently stated, “We are working closely with the other golf organizations to move forward together with respect to a rule and then the execution of the rule,” meaning discussions will continue with the R&A, the USGA, and members of the International Federation of PGA Tours. “We need to move together in this area on a global basis,” said Finchem. “It’s unfortunate that these realities are with us, but they are and we have to deal with them.”
Are these realities present in golf? At a pre-British Open Championship press conference in July, Tiger Woods didn’t seem to think so: “If anything, probably out here [guys wouldJ test positive for maybe being hung over little bit, but that’s about it. I know some guys have taken Medrol packs for inflammation in their wrists, but other than that I really don’t see anybody doing anything or have not heard [about] anybody doing anything. I’m interested just like anybody else to see what happens.”
On the other hand, also at Carnoustie, Gary Player said he knew of one player who had admitted to him that he had used steroids. “We’re dreaming if we think it’s not going to come intO golf,” Player said. The PGA Tour is considering developing a specific prohibited substances list and a comprehensive outreach program to educate PGA Tour members before any policies are implemented.
Dr. Evelyn R. Hermes-DeSantis, a clinical associate professor at Rutgers’ Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy, said, “There are probably four different classes of medication that may have a potential utility: steroids, body-enhancing agents, stimulants, and beta-blockers.”
Dr. Hermes-DeSantis is also the director of the Drug Information Service at the Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick, N.]. She noted a few characteristics of these drugs:
Anabolic steroids: Long-term use may increase bulk, which might enhance power shots in golf. But long-term use side effects could produce negative behavioral changes – nervousness, irritability, excitation, mania, depression, psychosis, and aggression – as well as involuntary jerky movements.
Non–steroid body–enhancing agents (i.e., creatine): Reported to increase athletic performance, particularly in short-
term, high–energy work. However, the difference is not usually significant and there are many contradictory studies.
Adverse effects include muscle cramping, for the poorly…hydrated, and possible kidney damage.
Stimulants: Enhancing concentration and alertness could be beneficial in golf, although there is insufficient evidence supporting the use of caffeine, ephedrine, and ephedra on athletic performance. But the risks of stimulant use are significant, including nervousness, excitation, and other more serious effects.
Beta–blockers: May help manage performance anxiety. But adverse effects include fatigue, low blood pressure, low heart rate, dizziness, and a possibility impaired cognition – would detract from any gain.
At present, there is 1:10 indication of a drug problem in golf, and the nature of the game, its tradition of honor and ethics make it unlikely. But as Bada said, “Designer drug manufacturers seem to always be ahead of the curve; performance·enhancing drugs have been and likely are being produced and used that cannot be detected. Someone will try to enhance performance with some new drug that will eventually be developed, if it is not already here.”
The R&A and USGA broke the ice and used drug testing in South Africa in November 2006 at the World Amateur Team Championships. A total of 12 players were tested, all proving negative. “I personally don’t think we’ve got a drug problem in professional golf. I haven’t met anybody yet who thinks we have,” said European Tour chief executive George O’Grady.”But we work with governments in so many different countries. They are insisting on a wider list.” The European Tour will have a drug policy in January and the LPGA Tour will start drug testing in 2008, said commissioner Carolyn Bivens, its policy developed through the National Center for Drug Free Sport which manages testing programs for the NCAA and others.
The LPGA is also instituting a vigorous disincentive for any drug use. The penalty for testing positive would be 25 tournaments for the first offense, 50 tournaments for a second offense and then strike three – a lifetime ban for a third violation.
“Golf is a global game, so we need a set of criteria that is as common as possible and personally I don’t think you rush it,” said Peter Dawson, chief executive of the Royal & Ancient. “Once we have decided what to do, I think there should be a period of education for the golfers. It’s one thing to have a policy in place and another to be up to full steam testing.”
