Taking a step the male professional golfers have refused to take, as play begins in the tournament offering the most prize money ever, the Ladies' Professional Golf Association (LPGA) claims it will begin drug testing in 2008.
The PGA and the PGA Tour have knocked around the idea, but not many think that drug abuse is a problem in the pro golf ranks. In a sport where it is customary to tip a few "at the 19th hole" and to buy everyone at the course a drink after shooting a hole-in-one, in which colorful characters in professional golf history were known to drink to excess, in which aches and pains are commonplace and must be "ignored" to earn a paycheck in professional ranks, one might think that booze and drugs could be a problem.
Pro golfer Nick O'Hern made a pretty good living playing golf in 2006. He played in only 15 tournaments on the PGA Tour. As prize money, he earned ... let's call it what it is ... the outrageous sum of $995,235. Outrageous? Ninety-three golfers are ahead of him on the PGA Tour official money list, all making more than $1 million in prize money.
Why would professional golfers use performance-enhancing drugs, such as drugs that make the heart beat slower, anxiety-relieving psychotropics, and anabolic steroids?
The answer is obvious. And the prize money for which the professional golfers compete from week to week is supplemented by endorsement contracts ... Tiger Woods may have made almost $10,000,000 in prize money on the PGA Tour, but he made as much as $80,000,000 playing in other tournaments, playing with Nike equipment, shilling for Buick, and having other assorted endorsement deals, according to Forbes.
Nick O'Hern is supplied equipment by the Acushnet Golf Company, which owns the Titleist brand, and is reimbursed for many expenses. And he also won over $310,000 playing in Australia, being #2 on that money list.
So, should there be drug testing in golf? There is extensive, detailed testing of golf clubs and golf balls to ensure uniformity, eliminating unfair competitive advantages. Why allow unfair competitive advantages by those players who use drugs to enhance their performances?
Drug testing should be mandatory.