One of the biggest gripes that fans, and fellow golf scribes, had under the Tim Finchem administration was the lack of transparency from the tour when it came to drug related suspensions being announced. If a golfer was suspended by the tour for recreational drug use, it was never announced to the public.
Well, Jay Monahan is in charge now and things are about to change.
The PGA Tour announced earlier this week significant changes to its anti-doping program beginning next season, including public disclosure of suspensions for recreational drug violations. The Tour will issue a statement detailing the player’s name, length of suspension and whether the violation came from a performance-enhancing drug or a recreational drug.
In addition to the announcement of drug related suspensions, the Tour will also introduce blood testing to its drug testing methods. While the current urine testing method will still be the main method of testing, all players will be subject to blood testing as well. Select substances, such as Human Growth Hormone, can’t be detected in urine but would show up in blood testing.
“While we are extremely pleased with the implementation and results of the PGA Tour Anti-Doping Program to date, we believe that these changes to our changes are prudent in that they further our objectives of protecting the well-being of our members and better substantiate the integrity of golf as a clean sport,” PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan said in a statement.