No Positive Tests On European Tour
The European Tour has revealed there had been no positive tests at the start of their new drugs-testing programme in the build-up to The Open Championship which began this week.
Six players were tested during the European Open a fortnight ago – including former Open champion Paul Lawrie – and all of them tested negative for banned substances.
European Tour chief executive George O’Grady said: ‘We tested six players at the European Open, chosen from random, three from one half of the draw and three from the other. All six players were happy with the way it was done.
‘I think the players all understand why we have to do it. One is for the bid to get golf into the Olympics, and two is to keep the unprecedented image of professional golf. We strongly believe we are completely clean and we have to be seen to be clean now and prove it.
‘We’ve had a widespread education process on supplements, the sorts of things everybody takes, not just sportsmen, and the same has gone on on the PGA Tour as well.’
Last year’s Open at Carnoustie began amid claims from Gary Player that he ‘knows for a fact’ there are players taking drugs.
Drug testing also began on the US Tour the same week as in Europe and no positive findings have been reported.
The first major championship to have drug testing will be next month’s USPGA Championship at Oakland Hills while September’s Ryder Cup is also subject to the new regime.
