As golfers withdrew from the Olympics after 112 years of absence, many began to wonder what their motives were besides the Zika Virus. It seems like drug testing isn’t the issue.
We have already discussed the weakness of the PGA towards drug testing, but it looks like the same type of controversy is occurring at the Olympics.
Golf.com conducted an informal survey where they found out that of the 31 golfers from 20 countries going to the Olympics, only 4 were tested. With one golfer opting out of the survey, that’s only 13% of the athletes tested.
The World Anti Doping Agency (WADA) sets the minimum level of analysis of golfers for substances like human growth hormone (which is undetectable in urine) at 5% of the testing pool. So believe it or not, they actually tested more than they had to.
The minimum levels of analysis range from 0 percent to 60 percent, placing golf in the second-lowest risk category alongside sports like fencing. Diving is one of those sports at 0%, in case you were wondering.
Rory McIlroy had voiced his concerns on the matter at The Open, saying that if golf wanted to be seen as a mainstream sport, they would have to crack down on blood testing.
“I could use HGH and get away with it”
Padraig Harrington concurred with the idea of stricter drug laws, while Masters winner Danny Willett had different thoughts.
“I don’t think guys are going to try anything to get them in that kind of trouble,” Willett said.
While that may be true, that sentiment can also make it easier for those who do use it to slide through undetected, riding on the backs of their honest cohorts.
Clearly the PGA Tour isn’t worried, and now the Olympics aren’t either, so maybe it doesn’t matter. Maybe Rory needs to get the stick out of his butt and worry about himself, or maybe he’s being cautious and wants more strict enforcements for a fair playing field.
Will they enforce stricter drug testing? Probably not, but only time will tell.
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