Thrash Talk: Steroid Testing in Golf

[email protected] · August 1, 2006

By Cody Thrasher via TheSandTrap.com

Is it time to start testing for steroids in golf?

The Major League Baseball trade deadline has been dominating the ESPN headlines the past couple weeks. In the past, trade deadline week was one of my favorite times of the year. I was an avid baseball fan like so many other Americans. Oh how the times have changed! Nowadays, the only thing that comes to mind when talking about the MLB is the use of steroids.

The media has completely blown steroid use in Major League Baseball out of the water, possibly for good reason. There will always be the "steroid era" in baseball, but hopefully things will get back to normal with the new testing program. I certainly have better things to watch on television now.

Fortunately for golf fans, our sport has seen a steady rise in popularity over the past decade. That being said, I can't help but think about the possible use of steroids by professional golfers. I know it sounds a little silly, but there are so many different kinds of performance-enhancing drugs these days. I won't sit here and point my finger at any specific golfers, but that doesn't mean all golfers are clean.

That brings me to my main question this week: should there be steroid testing in golf? It's not something every golf fan thinks about, but it wouldn't hurt to run things through your mind once or twice.

Over the past decade in golf, it's no secret that physical fitness has improved at all levels. The world's best golfer is the best example of this. Tiger Woods is definitely more ripped and muscular than Jack Nicklaus was in his day. Other top golfers have made goals each year to get in better physical shape before the season (David Duval and Davis Love III come to mind).

If steroid testing was a part of professional golf, it would clarify my suspicions. I'm probably not the only one that gets a little suspicious about the improved physical fitness regime in golf either. Unfortunately, professional baseball has made me think this way. There is nothing wrong with trying to keep a sport clean.

Nick Faldo had this to say early last year: "It's been clean forever, probably because we've proven there's nothing out there we can take to enhance our performance. So there's no point looking. Golf has a very good reputation and, fortunately, nothing in the wings is going to dent it."

Nick Faldo was a great golfer, but he can't possibly speak for everyone involved. And there is absolutely no way Faldo would know if someone took steroids or not. I've known people that took steroids, and I had no clue until they told me about it. Like I mentioned earlier, there are steroids for everything these days. Golf isn't necessarily about physical strength, but professional golfers still have to be in great shape week in and week out. After all, baseball used to have a great reputation, too.

There are people that will argue that steroids can't help a golfer out in any way. That is wishful thinking. In the age of improved technology, increased driving distance, etc., now is the perfect time to think about the possibility of steroids in golf. The use of steroids may not help a golfer putt, chip, or hit a golf ball, but they could certainly help a golfer hit the ball further. The use of steroids doesn't help a baseball player hit a baseball, but they can sure increase the distance the players can hit the ball.

And besides, how would anyone know if steroids would help a golfer or not? They wouldn't, unless they tried them out and tested things out on their own. I'm not sure if steroids would help me become a better golfer or not, and I don't plan on finding out any time soon. That being said, nobody can say they help or hurt a golfer until they try them.

Also, it would be nice to see a steroid testing system implemented before things get out of hand. Things probably aren't that bad right now, but if someone did admit to taking steroids, the game would crumble just like Major League Baseball has. A million questions would arise, and the media would be second-guessing everyone's records (most notably Tiger Woods' records).

A lot of long-time golf fans may think this idea is silly, but it could get ugly if any golfer ever admitted to using steroids in their professional golfing career. It would be so much easier to get things straightened out sooner rather than later. We live in a different world of sports nowadays people, and it's time to start thinking in that manner. As unfortunate as it sounds, it's still the truth.

Finally, how nice would it be to laugh at all the other professional sports if all golfers tested negative for steroids? It would prove how clean the sport truly is. That would definitely be a breath of fresh air in the world of professional sports.

Not having a current steroid testing procedure in place makes it ok to do it and play golf every week. That's the main problem. Whether or not any professional golfer is taking steroids at this time, it's still ok to do it if they choose. That's not going to cut it. Every professional athlete should be tested and held accountable regardless of the sport. It's unfair for professional baseball players and football players to go through tests while professional golfers sit by the wayside.

If steroid testing in golf is ever approved, the governing body needs to punish offenders the correct way. If a golfer fails a drug test, they should be suspended a year right from the start. If they fail a second drug test after returning, they should be banned from the professional scene forever.

There is no reason anyone should have to take steroids to play the game of golf or any other professional sport for that matter. It's just the way our society works at times. If professional athletes (yes, golfers are athletes) can't be clean while playing sports, they don't need to be playing anyway. It can be very harmful to their respective bodies, and it sends a negative message to today's youth.

The Final Say
This topic may not be in the minds of many golf fans, but it has been on mine for quite some time. If it's possible for things to happen in other sports, it's possible in golf as well. Golf is supposedly a clean sport, and I believe that for the most part. However, we would all be so naive to think there aren't any professional golfers in the world taking some kind of steroid right now. The odds just aren't in your favor if you think that way.

Steroid testing in golf wouldn't hurt the integrity of the sport in any way. If a lot of people failed drug tests, it would be a reality check for many fans. However, it would be nice to get it under control now instead of ten or twenty years from now. If nobody failed a drug test, then it would prove just how clean and worthy of respect the sport and the golfers truly are. It's a win-win situation any way you look at it. The time has come for the governing bodies to get something done about it.

That's all I have to say this week, and it's your turn to tell me what you think. Is it crazy to think there should be steroid testing in golf? Also, would it hurt the sport in any way if drug testing was implemented? Finally, do you think every professional golfer in the world is 100% clean (of steroids) right now? If you have anything to add, and I'm sure you will, feel free to comment below or discuss it in the forum. Thanks for reading this week's Thrash Talk!

<span class="credit">Photo Credit: © All Sports Nutrition.

Article Link>>>Here

"This article is republished with permission from The Sand Trap .com and
remains copyright © The Sand Trap .com. All rights and privileges reserved."

gjones77 · August 4, 2006

Cody, you're a little late bro, we've gone over this subject in some depth already :drinks:

None the less, my issue with testing stems from the fact, that by doing so you're questioning every pro golfer's integrity without evidence, proof, or even rumor that some one is using a performance enhancing drug.

That's like a cop giving some one a breathalizer test for no reason at all just to prove he hasn't been drinking.

If it was wide spread like it is in baseball and football, with all the rumors and people admitting they've taken them, then yes I would expect a testing policy implemented right away, but there isn't even a scent of possibility in golf.

And no offense bro, but I'd take the opinion of Nick Faldo (whether you like him or not) who is a Hall Of Fame golfer and a great on air commentator, over your own when it comes to many golf subjects, actually I'd take his over any reporter, blogger, or otherwise until proof is handy to the contrary.

[email protected] · August 4, 2006

Cody, you're a little late bro, we've gone over this subject in some depth already :drinks:

These articles aren't posted as a discussion, they're posted automatically as articles appear at http://thesandtrap.com/ . This article is at http://thesandtrap.com/archives/thrash_tal...ing_in_golf.php .

And no offense bro, but I'd take the opinion of Nick Faldo (whether you like him or not) who is a Hall Of Fame golfer and a great on air commentator, over your own when it comes to many golf subjects, actually I'd take his over any reporter, blogger, or otherwise until proof is handy to the contrary.

True dat. Feel free to comment on the original article, too, where the author will see your comment(s).

3puttbogey · August 4, 2006

Steroids could absolutely help a professional golfer. They improve your strength and endurance as well as decrease the time your muscles need to recover. A golfer could become stronger and practice more. Seems like a benefit to me.

After the 1997 season Tiger said he needed to be bigger and stronger to hit the 3/4 shots and punch shots he felt were necessary. Since then he has added close to 30 lbs. of muscle. He saw the benefits of strength and fitness.

The problem with testing for steroids is there is no test for human growth hormone. If the olympics don't have a test for it then what is the point. NFL players and major league baseball players can use it without any fear of being caught. Therefore any testing policy a professional sport claims to have is a farce.

taylormadefan · August 4, 2006

Steroids could absolutely help a professional golfer. They improve your strength and endurance as well as decrease the time your muscles need to recover. A golfer could become stronger and practice more. Seems like a benefit to me.

After the 1997 season Tiger said he needed to be bigger and stronger to hit the 3/4 shots and punch shots he felt were necessary. Since then he has added close to 30 lbs. of muscle. He saw the benefits of strength and fitness.

The problem with testing for steroids is there is no test for human growth hormone. If the olympics don't have a test for it then what is the point. NFL players and major league baseball players can use it without any fear of being caught. Therefore any testing policy a professional sport claims to have is a farce.

This is what happens when sportswriters try to be endocrinologisists. . . . :drinks:

There are tests for hGH. It's pretty easy actually. hGH is a horomone, as any endocrionologist will tell you, it's secreted in a proportional factor to the hormone growth hormone releasing hormone and experiences negative feedback inhibition by insulin like growth factors which GH helps stimulate the releases of.

The current blood test measures IGF-1 concentrations, and if there's a disproportionate amount of IGF compared to GH, BUSTED!!!!

The test is very accruate and easy to do. They are also releasing another test very soon to help the effectiveness. The same theory behind why Mr. Landis got busted for having too much testosterone (a natural hormone) in his body as well.

gjones77 · August 4, 2006

Steroids could absolutely help a professional golfer. They improve your strength and endurance as well as decrease the time your muscles need to recover. A golfer could become stronger and practice more. Seems like a benefit to me.

After the 1997 season Tiger said he needed to be bigger and stronger to hit the 3/4 shots and punch shots he felt were necessary. Since then he has added close to 30 lbs. of muscle. He saw the benefits of strength and fitness.

The problem with testing for steroids is there is no test for human growth hormone. If the olympics don't have a test for it then what is the point. NFL players and major league baseball players can use it without any fear of being caught. Therefore any testing policy a professional sport claims to have is a farce.

This is what happens when sportswriters try to be endocrinologisists. . . . :drinks:

There are tests for hGH. It's pretty easy actually. hGH is a horomone, as any endocrionologist will tell you, it's secreted in a proportional factor to the hormone growth hormone releasing hormone and experiences negative feedback inhibition by insulin like growth factors which GH helps stimulate the releases of.

The current blood test measures IGF-1 concentrations, and if there's a disproportionate amount of IGF compared to GH, BUSTED!!!!

The test is very accruate and easy to do. They are also releasing another test very soon to help the effectiveness. The same theory behind why Mr. Landis got busted for having too much testosterone (a natural hormone) in his body as well.

Thanks for the lesson :crazy:

And as for Tiger, his workout regime is legendary, he's trained with Navy SEALS and kept up with the.

And yes, over the course of the alst 10 years he's put on 30 pounds of muscle, but it went on naturally, it wasn't like Bonds where it happened damn near over night