LPGA Planning to Implement Drug Testing


Wednesday, November 15th 2006, 11:01 am
By: News On 6


WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) _ The LPGA Tour will start testing players for drugs in 2008, making it the first major golf tour to announce a drug-testing program.

Specifics of the testing plan have not been developed and will be worked on over the next six to nine months, LPGA commissioner Carolyn Bivens said Wednesday.

``While we have no evidence to date that any of our players are using performance-enhancing drugs, we need to have a very clear policy and a program in place,'' Bivens said. ``We want to take a proactive role.''

The European Tour is working on a policy that chief executive George O'Grady said will be effective ``in the near future.'' The PGA Tour has no drug policy, although its Player Advisory Committee did discuss the issue earlier this year. Some players, including world No. 1 Tiger Woods, have said there should be drug testing.

Plus, players at last month's World Amateur Team Championships in South Africa were also subject to testing.