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I've read all the stuff on steroids in baseball and I know we have discussed it's use or not use in golf but I did not know until yesterday that you had to be blood tested to be proven positive of HGH.
Does the PGA test it's players at all for anything?
Do they blood test anyone? If so has anyone ever failed one?

Testing for 'roids...have not heard of it. (although they might want to check Pat Perez...that sure looks like 'roid rage to me!!)
I read 10 or so years ago of accusations of use by some Tour guys of beta-blockers (blood pressure meds) to help control the nerves. But I don't remember hearing of any conformation..

Steroids are mostly used to bulk-up if I am not mistaken. In golf that would be the last thing you would want to do a player say like some of the baseball players who have massive arms and chest from steroid use would this not hinder the shoulder turning need in a golf shot……..I think so……. just my 2 cents.

HGH would probably induce uncontrolled growth, but with other steroids, you gotta be hitting the weights to get big. Golfers could definitely use them for recovery more than muscle growth. I know some golfers are more health conscious, and some of them do work-out, but I would think most could benefit without being big and muscle bound.

With MLB, I think they are discovering there are a lot of pitchers using the roids, and they are usually the skinnier dudes.

I think there should be steroid testing in golf. Why not? It is a "performing enhancing" drug. You can hit the ball farther if you are physically more powerful. You don't have to use it until your too bulky, but use it to be physically more fit. Mental strength is also a product of being a more physically stronger.

We all know that having even the slightest of edges in golf, can be a monumental advantage. If your not juicing, you have nothing to worry about. I wouldn't be surprised if a couple pros tested positive.

If they tested positive for marjuana, cocaine or crack, heroin, speed, etc. I'd let it go. No advantage there.

you have to understand that he was a boxer before his PGA career and probably still boxes some and keeps those muscles big...

I think there are as much drugs and steroids in golf as there are in all pro and amateur sports of all kinds.

If players think they can have a benifit and either not get caught or not ever be tested it will be happening to few out there.

It is a shame that it happens in all sports but with so much money at stake????

brianf

Couldn't agree with you more. When there is loads of money involved, and you need to be competitive amongst the elite, and it means an important paycheck, why not juice? Especially when you know you wil not get caught---with NO testing.

I just feel that with all the money on the line someone might do it. All you hear about is that the players are working out now and are in better shape than ever.I would think there would be gym rats (somewhere in the world) walking up to someone saying " hey I got something here that will make you a little bigger, stronger, more flexible, and can not be detected because there is no testing". I would think golfers knew other sports were doing it as early as 1998 and felt that no one cared so why not do it too? I do notice that most of these golfers now are in GREAT shape and if you work out to get that way and you know that there are things undetectable that could get you an advantage that there is a chance some are doing it.

The money on the line demands that they test all top 20 spots. I know the sceptics out there will skoff but I think none of them would test positive, I'd still like to think golf is a gentlemans game and if the poweres that be don't even deem it nessesary to test we have to assume it still is. It is an anomily in world sport that is something special.

Moving to the proper forum............

I think the proportion of golfers who are on something would be quite a lot lower than in other sports, but I wouldn't doubt that there could be a few on Tour who are using some kind of performance enhancing drug.

you probably won't see drug testing unless guys start hitting consistant 400 yard drives and/ or start shooting in the high 50's.

You can take as many steroids as Barry Bonds.....but if you can't make a putt and drive it straight, what good does it do? Driving the ball far is only a small piece of the puzzle.

with todays pros, driving the far is a big piece of the puzzle, they wouldn't be on tour if they couldn't drive it straight or control the ball and make putts.

I tend to agree with this. These guys are independent contractors who have no real allegience to each other, unlike the more organized (and unionized) team sports. If doping in golf were rampant I think we would've heard more whispers about it than we have. All I've heard about is the beta-blockers a few years back that someone else posted about.