Golf Set For New Drugs Rules

The Royal & Ancient Golf Club are considering new drugs regulations following golf's acceptance as an official Olympic sport and claims that leading professionals have taken Beta blockers to boost their game.

Australian tour professional Craig Parry fuelled the debate recently by calling for a drugs code in golf and saying that he knew of at least three major champions over the past decade who had used Beta blockers.

The new World Anti-Doping Agency, set up by the International Olympic Committee after a series of drugs scandals in sport, intends to start carrying out random drug-testing at some tournaments from next year.

Beta blockers are a class of drugs prescribed by doctors to block adrenaline, slow the heart rate and lower blood pressure. They could therefore help to calm a golfer during high-pressure situations.

Peter Dawson, the Royal & Ancient's secretary, said: "The R&A are having a close look at the situation at the moment to see if we do need to introduce this into golf and for which substances."

Parry's call for the introduction of an internationally-recognised drugs code has been backed by David Collins, professor of sports medicine at Edinburgh University, who said: "Any sport that does not have a drugs code in this day and age is missing a trick."

Late last year, Parry, 34, surprised the golf world when he said: "I think we do need one (a drug-testing code), just to keep it clean and make sure everyone is on a level playing field.

"I've never been tested for drugs and don't know any player on tour who has. All we have in our guidelines is `you musn't take drugs'."

Parry said former USPGA and Open champion Nick Price had admitted some years ago to taking Beta blockers, but added: "I've got nothing against Nick. He needs them for his health which is fine."

Wayne Grady, chairman of the Australasian PGA Tour and winner of the 1990 USPGA Championship, said: "I don't think performance-enhancing drugs would help golfers."

Grady said he had never been drug-tested in more than 20 years as a professional "and I've never known anyone who has."

Five-times Open champion Peter Thomson, another Australian, said he knew of only one case of a golfer taking drugs. "The American Tommy Bolt had a ferocious temper and was prone to outbursts during a round," Thomson said. "So he took valium to calm himself down.

"I asked him one day how the pills were going and he said: 'Great. I'm still three-putting but I don't give a damn any more' ."