First golfer busted for PEDs

[TMO]

At about 6:00 PM tonight the PGA Tour announced that it would be suspending Doug Barron for the use of an unspecified Performance Enhancing Drug. Curious about everyone's thoughts. Is this just the beginning of a trend or was this an isolated incident?

[deronsizemore]

I'd say it's a trend we'll continue to see more of. A lot of people will do anything to get ahead; most just think they won't get caught.

Who knows what drugs they supposedly found though. Seems like taking allergy medicine will set off red flags with some of these tests.

[TMO]

Just my quick opinion but I think that we are going to see an extreme influx of this at the college level. From personal experience I can say that golf coaches are putting such a huge emphasis on gaining weight and muscle that we were actually working out with the football team 2 days a week. Considering how scrawny most golfers are, they are going to feel the added pressure to gain that weight and muscle.

On tour, I don't have a clue. I have a few friends out there that have gained a lot of muscle over the last few years but I know what their routine is like and know that they legitimately gained that muscle. Perhaps some players looking to break into the top of the ranks will use the PEDs but I doubt you are going to hear players like Tiger or Phil are going to get busted.

One last point, golfers are smart. I am not saying that players in other sports are not but if a golfer really wants to take steroids they can go to a doctor and say that any number of things are hurting them.

That's just my opinion though; I could be wrong.

[goblue107501]

Who the heck is Doug Barron?

I wasn't the first person to say this, but it is one of my favorite lines: If Tiger isn't doing PED's, does it really matter what anyone else might be doing?

I say isolated incident. Especially when players see someone get busted and suspended.

[Shindig]

Who the heck is Doug Barron?

My reaction entirely. Who?

When it happens to someone I've heard of, maybe I can comment on whether or not it's going to be a trend.

[lobsterzilla]

One last point, golfers are smart. I am not saying that players in other sports are not but if a golfer really wants to take steroids they can go to a doctor and say that any number of things are hurting them. That's just my opinion though; I could be wrong.

different form of steroid. both anabolic but differnet none the less.

[iacas]

http://www.pga.com/2009/news/pgatour....ap/index.html

[2bGood]

He is 127 on the Nation wide. I has been taking "perfomance enhancing" drugs then... I suggest he take a higher dose

[DBeane]

I dont think this will ever be a problem on the PGA tour. I just dont know of a drug that would be beneficial to a golfer. Golf is such a balance of power, touch, creativity, good temperment, coordination...I dont know of a drug that would enhance all of these.

-Beane

[zeg]

I dont think this will ever be a problem on the PGA tour. I just dont know of a drug that would be beneficial to a golfer. Golf is such a balance of power, touch, creativity, good temperment, coordination...I dont know of a drug that would enhance all of these.

No, but to be at or near the top, you need a lot of *all* of those qualities. There are a lot of people who have a lot of *most* of them, and these people may benefit from a boost in the areas that performance enhancers can help. As long as you're able to maintain the flexibility necessary for a swing, I think that between two otherwise identical athletes, the guy on steroids will have the edge... It won't turn this what's-his-name into Tiger, but he's just hoping it takes him from middle-of-the-pack (or worse) on the Nationwide to a somewhat higher level...

That is *assuming* that what's been reported reflects the whole story. The report I saw had him make some vague apology and claim he wasn't trying to gain a benefit. Bizarre, but also bizarre that the PGA was equally uninformative.

[paperclip]

My 2 cents worth on this:

All of those guys generally have beautiful, grooved, repeatable swings. What makes the difference at their level vs. ours tends to be the mental game (some estimate to be 90% of it), which makes me think that the drug would not be a steroid but rather something to help him focus better mentally. There are lots of those types of drugs (ie anti-depressants, relaxants and the like). It could even have been a beta-blocker to keep the yips in check.

But with their policies, we will probably never know.

[cougar978]

I wonder how many players blaze it up every now and then..I don't think it would give any sort of advantage (however, I've played with some guys that toke during the round and then shoot 72).

[2bGood]

I dont think this will ever be a problem on the PGA tour. I just dont know of a drug that would be beneficial to a golfer. Golf is such a balance of power, touch, creativity, good temperment, coordination...I dont know of a drug that would enhance all of these.

I agree somewhat - but when lots of money is on the line people are going to try anything - look at the "Stack and Tilt"

Problem isn't so much the pro's but the aspiring pros try this kind of crap

[FHopper]

hmmm
Rastafarian Golf My Way
by Bob Marley

[uttexas]

I dont think this will ever be a problem on the PGA tour. I just dont know of a drug that would be beneficial to a golfer. Golf is such a balance of power, touch, creativity, good temperment, coordination...I dont know of a drug that would enhance all of these.

There are banned medications that can enhance recovery from injury. These banned substances can also be used by athletes to train longer and more frequently with less recovery time. There are other banned medications and treatments that enhance endurance and others that increase lean muscle mass.

Only fractions of performance level separate the top 0.5% of golfers in the world. Thus, any advantage might seem attractive to some.

[RS22]

I wonder how many players blaze it up every now and then..I don't think it would give any sort of advantage (however, I've played with some guys that toke during the round and then shoot 72).

LOL had a few friends like that on my college team. They would be playing poorly and get frustrated, throw the towel over their head, toke up, then end up shooting even for the day. If I smoke then play, I can't concentrate enough, and my game tanks lol. To each his own.

[Cussin hacker]

What they need is a Cheech and Chong tour. The players on drugs could play without any penalty. LOL

Funny ...just as I was typing this ESPN started talking about this guy. They said it was some sort of steriod he was on. They showed some footage of him and he's fat body.

[kleraudio]

steroids....really....

Anabolic steroids and Doug Barron shouldnt be in the same sentence, did yuo see that guy?

Plus, what on earth is an anabolic gonna do for your golf game? I doubt it was steroids..

Oh and about the pot thing, I read on a golfchannel.com article that there are no rules for that kind of stuff, so yea, Im sure quite a few of those guys smoke a little...