McIlroy: Drug Testing in Golf Subpar to Other Olympic Sports

(ATR) Rory McIlroy believes golf’s governing bodies are not doing a sufficient job drug testing players, as the sport returns to the Olympics next month.

The four-time Major champion said he has only been tested once this season - a urine test - by the International Golf Federation. McIlroy said he has yet to be blood-tested. He noted that a few additional urine tests have been administered by the PGA Tour.

"On average, I probably get tested four to five times a year, which is very little compared to the rest of the Olympic sports," McIlroy told a press conference at Royal Troon, site of the 145th Open Championship which got underway on Thursday. "I think drug testing in golf is still quite far behind some of the other sports.

"If golf wants to stay in the Olympic movement, it has to get in line with the rest of the sports," said McIlroy, who withdrew from the Rio Olympics last month citing concerns over the Zika virus.

McIlroy, whose lackluster attitude towards Olympic golf has created a firestorm this week in Scotland, boldly predicted he could beat a drug test."HGH... you can’t really pick it up in a urine test. I could use HGH and get away with it," said the 27-year-old golfer from Northern Ireland. "I think blood testing is something that needs to happen in golf just to make sure that it is a clean sport going forward.

"I think if golf is in the Olympics and golf wants to be seen as a mainstream sport as such, it has to get in line with the other sports that test more rigorously," he added.

The Royal & Ancient, which organizes the Open Championship, was challenged on its drug testing policy. Chief executive Martin Slumbers could not confirm how many tests were conducted among the 156-player field at last year’s tournament at St. Andrews.

The number was later confirmed as just eight by the R&A.

Slumbers, who took over leadership of the R&A last September from current IGF president Peter Dawson, said the governing body’s anti-doping policy is carried out by the European Tour."For those players that are in the registered testing pool for the Olympics there is the IGF additional testing that is being carried out during this week," Slumbers added.

"Our belief is that we should be as a sport right at the highest level of standards around anti-doping and that's something that the tours and ourselves are privately talking about behind closed doors. It's not a matter for public discussion."

British golfer Justin Rose disagrees with McIlroy’s opinions on insufficient drug testing in golf, saying the sport is "falling in line with the other major sports in terms of being eligible for the Olympics".

"I believe golf has that great image of being a clean sport," Rose said. "I don’t know how you would improve the procedures that are in place. They feel comprehensive enough to me."

Although McIlroy questions golf’s drug testing policies, he wondered if there is one particular drug which would provide a golfer with an advantage across all facets of the game."I’d say the threat of doping in golf is pretty low – I don’t know of a banned substance that could help a golfer across the board, with driving, with putting, with concentration.

"If you look at the guys out here, there’s a few guys that you would call athletic, but apart from that, we’re not trying to get on our bikes and cycle 200-kilometers every day."

Around the Rings onsite coverage of the 145th Open Championship at Royal Troon is sponsored exclusively by EventScotland, working to make Scotland the Perfect Stage for Events.

Reported by Brian Pinelli at Royal Troon in Ayrshire, Scotland

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