PGA Tour to begin drug testing

The PGA Tour has announced that it is to introduce blood testing next season and will align its list of prohibited substances with that of the World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada).

The Tour will still use urine testing as an anti-doping measure but will add blood testing. This will be used to detect banned substances, such as human growth hormone.

Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan said in a statement: “We believe that these changes to our program 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.”

When golf took part at the Olympics figures from Wada showed that golf carried out the fewest drugs test – 417 – of any summer Olympics discipline and the sport came under increased pressure to adopt a more stringent policy on the matter.

Currently, misdemeanours related to recreational drugs are kept confidential but this will no longer be the case as part of widespread changes in policy for the 2017-18 season, starting later this year.