Steroids have been linked to many sports today. Baseball and track have both been in the limelight with their athletes and the BALCO scandal. Cycling and the Tour de France have recently been showcased as another sport that has a lot of its athletes testing positive and being barred from competition. Football has seen its share of athletes testing positive for steroids for years.
But there is one sport that may start testing their athletes— golf. Yes, I said golf. I was surprised when I first read this article by the AP. According to the article, there is going to be an announcement about whether or not golfers will be tested at the World Amateur Team championship.
There is some concern from the older golfers about the younger generation now competing. Instead of being all about form, the younger golfers have a single strategy: hit as far on the drive as you can and then putt on the green. To make the ball go really far– this is where steroids can really help the golfer.
Some say that they are not worried about the testing because steroids will not allow the golfer to be loose and limber. But in track and field– discus throwers have to be flexible as well– and there have been MANY throwers who have tested positive for steroids. Interesting. 🙂
What should the LPGA or the WLGA do if there is testing? They should implement a drug testing policy– the top x golfers have to be tested at a competition and should also have a random drug screening as well. Both organizations could team up with WADA and USADA to have information sessions and links to both on their web sites.
I would also recommend hiring a person who is knowledgeable in the anti-doping area, and have them to be the liason between the LPGA and WLPGA and the drug testing companies. By implementing these tactics, the golf associations will be proactive. This will help them out in the long term for golf. 😀
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