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The governing bodies of the four major, golfing championships announced on September 20 that they would be introducing random drug testing in the sport. Under the universal policy, testing will begin in 2008.

Tiger Woods has suggested that in the traditional spirit of the game, which espouses honesty and fairness, penalties for players testing positive should be ’significant’ to protect the integrity of the game. Tiger also believes that in a sport, where players have been know to call their own penalties, being caught cheating in this way will be severely damaging to a player’s reputation.

In common with many other sports, Golf’s banned list will include anabolic steroids, hormones and stimulants. I’m no expert on performance enhancing drugs but it did get me thinking about what possible chemical cocktails might improve a golfer’s game. I can perhaps see how drugs might be used off the course, to build strength and stamina (isn’t Tiger looking buff btw?), but I’m struggling to think of anything that would help with a golfer’s swing or putting technique. In a game that relies on total relaxation, I don’t see how being ‘wired’ on a stimulant, is going to help you improve. Perhaps beta-blockers for anxiety might be more appropriate.

There has been rumor of the misuse of performance enhancing substances on various tours and I’m sure the new rules have been brought in to address these, as well as bringing the game in line with most other professional sports.

I will still be shocked though when, and if, the first person is caught foul of the new doping policies and I remain convinced that Montgomerie’s gyncomastia is not the result of the misuse of performance enhancing hormones.

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