Barron first player to violate policyComment Email Print Share By Bob Harig
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Doug Barron became the first player on the PGA Tour to violate its performance-enhancing drug policy and has been suspended for one year.



Barron, 40, a veteran who played just four times this year on the developmental Nationwide Tour and once on the PGA Tour and failed to make a cut, will begin his suspension immediately -- although his status was in limbo because he was playing the Nationwide Tour this year on a medical exemption.



"I would like to apologize for any negative perception of the tour or its players resulting from my suspension," Barron said in a statement released by the PGA Tour. "I want my fellow tour members and the fans to know that I did not intend to gain an unfair competitive advantage or enhance my performance while on tour."



It is unclear what substance Barron took or what he did to produce a positive drug test. The tour said it would have no further comment on the matter.



The PGA Tour announced that it would be implementing full-scale anti-doping measures in December 2007, with the program commencing on July 1, 2008.



Since that time, random drug testing has occurred at PGA Tour events, including the major championships, with tests administered by the National Center for Drug Free Sport.



Barron's is the first suspension under the program, but the tour did not announce when the positive test occurred.



Barron's last official event was the Mexico Open on the Nationwide Tour in early September.



His best finish on Nationwide Tour was a second place on five occasions. On the PGA Tour, his best finish was a tie for third at the EDS Byron Nelson Championship in 2005, a year in which he had two top 10s and earned more than $700,000.

Of course this shouldn't come as a suprise, everybody remembers how ripped the guy is.

I'd be interested to hear what it was. I do remember Doug Barron and the taking the shirt off incident at Tampa a few years ago and he didn't look like a canidate for PED's.

LMFAO!

Doug is a nice guy and I hope the media outlets do not blow this out of proportion.

I too am curious as to what he tested positive for- as well as the notion that PED's somehow aid in the game of golf...

There are certain drugs that lower heart rate, increase concentration/focus....

What are the odds that it's some Cold and Flu remedy or a diuretic...?

There was a time when I got drug tested for sports and it was amazing how many over the counter remedies had proscribed drugs. I had to carry a little card with me every time I was buying anything vaguely medicinal to check the ingredients.

I'm still a fan of drug testing in golf despite the hassle.

I don't think it's what they think it is.

http://www.espn.go.com/photo/2006/1221/barron_195.jpg

I heard it was Trimspa.

Someone isn't paying attention.

Beta Blocker

That's where my money is.

EDIT: Oops! I mean if I was going to bet on what he tested positive for. Not that my money is buying beta blockers!

Good point T- clearly with football on the brain (and the Bears just not playing to HALF their potential, which is KILLING me), I was thinking more along the lines of those types of PED's...

Well then I would fail the PGA Tour's drug test because I take a beta blocker for my high blood pressure.

I believe he has several medical conditions and was applying for exemptions. My speculation is on something related to his medical condition.

While the drug policy is pretty good, and obviously has some teeth (one year suspension for first offense- wish baseball and football had that!), I disagree that they should make the suspension public and not reveal the drug. It just leads to speculation and may needlessly ruin a reputation.

Bottom line is I don't think it's fair to pass judgement on this guy without knowing all the facts- and it looks like we won't know all the facts per the PGA.

They can't release the drug that caused him to fail. That would be breaking privacy laws. But this stuff is usually leaked.

Perhaps it was a drug to improve concentration. I know of a few for kids with ADHD.

Could also have been some kind of recreational drug.

HIGHLY doubt the tour would suspend someone for attempting to treat a medical condition. If that were the case it is massively unprofessional in regards to the PGA. Needless to say, a thorough investigation would have been undertaken before anything would be made public. Otherwise the tour could expect Sue-Central coming their way if it turns out he was fine. Also, if he had nothing to worry about, a statement would have been released by him as soon as he heard that the tour were suspending him to explain the positive test. If it was recreational I bet he would have got an explanation out there ASAP to prove he wasnt trying to cheat.

I believe he took testosterone.There was a "medically accepted" level for tour players.If you tested low enough,you were granted an exemption to use it.If you tested above the tour benchmark,you weren't.

He was not granted the exemption but took it anyway on the advice of his personal physician.

Hmmm, not sure what to think, other than I feel bad for the guy if this is a technicality type thing.


That being said if I looked like that with my shirt off I would definitely be hitting the juice.

Did I hear right that he also was fined $500,000 on top of the 1 year suspension? Talk about kicking you when you are down! I doesn't look like a technicality.

Socrates

I believe that is correct- I heard that also.

I'm just guessing, but considering that he only earned $33K two years ago and nothing this past season, I don't thing the PGA is anxiously awaiting a check... I could see them garnishing future winnings if he ever returns to the tour, though.

The tour doesn't release info about fines. If a player fails a drug test for a recreational drug, they also don't release that info. They only announce suspensions for performance enhancing drugs.

Nope.

http://www.thegolfchannel.com/tour-insider...ded-year-33648/

This just sounds fishy to me. There is no way a man should have this suspension handed to him (and a 500K fine possibly??) if he is genuinely medically compromised/deficient and needs some sort of supplementation, if indeed he was getting testosterone treatment. I dont know what the sample testing routine is (A and B samples, etc) but you'd think for a suspension (+ fine maybe) to be dolled out the testing must be pretty rigorous and watertight. Still cant speculate until full facts are out.

I don't believe the $500,000 fine for a second!

You're a wise man--only an idiot would.

The reason for the positive test/suspension I wrote above.

Watching idiots speculate, after they've been given the reason, is pretty fun for a while.

this fella looks like he's taking more steroids than Arnie, Stallone, McGuire and A-Rod....combined
I bet he smoked some ganja. Let the man go.
Agassi just revealed he smoked crystal Meth (that's equivalent to crack) for a year or so in 1997. When an offender says a year or so, you know they mean 4 years or more. LOL, and he had a wig on..those long locks was actually a wig

If he was smoking pot, the tour wouldn't have announced anything. Agassi's hair was real at one point. I'm more upset that he wore a wig than his meth use.

+1

Transparency needed in golf's fight against doping: WADA
By Mark Lamport-Stokes

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has applauded the steps taken by golf to combat doping but believes more could be done to achieve full transparency in its policing.

Little-known American Doug Barron on Monday became the first golfer to receive a ban for taking a performance-enhancing drug.

The PGA Tour has suspended the player for a year but, in line with its own anti-doping policy, did not name the drug.

"This case shows no sport is immune to doping," WADA president John Fahey said in a statement on Tuesday.

"Golf is moving in the right direction as relates to the fight against doping in sport. The PGA Tour anti-doping program is based in large part on the global rules promulgated in the World Anti-Doping Code.

"Now the PGA (Tour) could go even further to achieve full compliance with the Code by not keeping details of anti-doping rule violations confidential and providing WADA with a right of appeal for decisions made in relation to anti-doping rule violations.

"WADA is confident this can be achieved in the near future," Fahey added.

OTHER TOURS

The PGA Tour launched its anti-doping program in July last year after liaising with the other major golf tours and governing bodies around the world.

In the event of a positive doping test, the Tour said it would disclose details only after the entire appeals and challenges process was completed.

The variety of sanctions could include disqualification, a one-year suspension for a first violation, up to five years for a second violation and a lifetime ban for multiple violations, plus fines up to $500,000.

The National Center for Drug Free Sport administers testing on the PGA Tour virtually every week of the season with all samples analyzed by WADA-accredited laboratories.

(Editing by Tony Jimenez. To query or comment on this story email sportsfeedback@thomsonreuters.com)

I don't have a problem with the testing and all...but even the players who were surprised at him, they said if you look at this guy, he's unremarkable. Not 'roided up, has a little gut or whatever, and had health problems. So I'd be real curious to know what this guy was taking and want to see how common it is out there?

I would be interested to know what drug (if any) could be perceived to be 'performance enhancing' in the world of golf. It's not like golf is a 'closed arena' sport where the parameters are set in stone - there are far too many variables. General fitness is a plus, but it's not a power or endurance sport either. Time limits aside it's not a race either. Could a drug make someone putt or swing better? I doubt it. So why would a drug be useful to the professional golfer? Aren't sports drinks and energy bars the same thing?

i would like to see the list of banned substances too

You don't think 10 more yards off the tee would be helpful? You don't think a drug that eliminated your jitters would help you putt better?

There are drug issues in every major sport, I can't understand why people think golf is any different.

I think it was Feherty said that the PGA's drug testing policy should be to test Tiger and if he was negative it didn't really matter what anyone else was taking. This guy prob. had a cold and took some Sudaphed, if the PGA tour wants to be upfront and trasparent tell us what he took.

The PGA would love nothing better than to give all of the info, but there are privacy laws that prevent them from doing so.

Barron knows exactly what he tested positive for. If it's something silly like sudafed (which it isn't) I'm sure he'll come out and say so.

I agree 100%. If he feels like he didn't do anything wrong and it was medication for a health issue or something he should be coming out and saying so. Just because there is that one picture of him without a gut doesn't mean that he wasn't taking something now to get more fit and stronger. I feel like it is either that or he was taking something to tone down nerves/anxiety.

I also can't believe there are people acting like PEDs wouldn't be that big of a deal. Just like other sports, being stronger in golf can definitely provide an advantage by hitting the ball further. I can't see that as even being debatable.

The problem with taking stuff to bulk up is that you lose tons of flexibility, which is why people feel it is not a big problem in golf. The biggest strongest guys don't hit the ball the farthest. The most flexible guys do. Strength doesn't hurt, but not when you sacrifice flexibility.

Guys like Tiger work out like crazy, but a lot of his workout is to increase flexibility, not bulk up.

As was said, this guy also had medical conditions and had applied for medical exemptions. As long as we're speculating (which is what most of this thread is), it is possible he screwed up and took something to feel better and either didn't realize or didn't care that is was on the banned list. When you don't feel right, you'll do almost anything to feel better. "Damn the torpedoes, full steam ahead."

Doesn't make it right... but medical condition trumps drug testing and sport, in my book.

Can't see it as a big loss to him- he made $33K in the last two years- he had to have another source of income, I would guess.

Doug is truly a great guy. I think the tour did not exactly know how to handle it and that is why there are so many questions. Everyone should hear Doug's side of the story shortly.

Some of you guys are assuming roids would be the only go-to drug one would take for golf. I think EPO and HGH would give more bang for the buck. Also just because you take steriods that dosent mean you instantly bulk up. You have to put in mad hours at the gym for that to happen.... If you are doing weights/workouts for golf you will not see anybody bulk up at all.

I agree with Player when he said that a few guys are on something and now that the WADA is in our sport thanks to the Olympics expect more busts.

Here is a list for those that asked copied and pasted directly from pga tour website.

Model Prohibited Substances and Methods List
Anabolic Agents

Hormones and Related Substances

Agents with Anti-Estrogenic Activity

Diuretics and Other Masking Agents

Stimulants

Narcotics

Cannabinoids

Beta Blockers

Enhancement of Oxygen Transfer

Chemical and Physical Manipulation


Substances that may be Prohibited At the Option of the Golf Organization

Glucocorticosteroids

Beta-2-Agonists

This is a non-story. Nobody, an unknown golfer was suspended. Yawn.

The list of banned substances is interesting. Between high blood pressure and prostate meds, its a wonder half the Champions Tour is not suspended.

Diuretics and stimulants? Couldn't these be regular coffee or sports drinks? And since when has cannabis or it's other forms increased anybody's sporting prowess? You'd be lucky to get them off the couch.

EXACTLY! And that is why many athletes have a big problem with drug testing. And they have a point... drug testing is not an exact science in that regard. It may enlighten to the substance in a person's system, but not the source. And the presumption is guilty of enhancing performance and the person is lumped into the steroid category, since privacy issues immediately jump up so everyone suddenly shuts up.

Cannabis may not increase sporting prowess, but it is on the banned list because it is an illegal drug and they don't want athletes that do drugs.

The old urban legend of poppy seed bagels causing a positive drug test makes many people fearful. How would you like a surprise drug test at work come back positive because you ate a poppy seed bagel for breakfast? You could lose your job over something like that. Now I have no idea if poppy seed bagels cause a false positive, but I avoid them at all costs because we have random drug testing at work. It's ashame- I like poppy seed bagels!

I don't want to see athletes cheating by taking performance enhancing drugs, but the flip side of the coin is that drug testing is in-exact and has the potential to ruin people without due course.

This guy will always be known as the first golfer to get caught. Maybe it's true. Maybe he just had a poppy seed bagel, some Vitamin C supplements, and a Red Bull.

Some athletes have been known to use it to relieve anxiety. Similar to beta-blockers. Not getting baked mind you.

When I saw that it was a bad day for golf, for me, and I bet Tiger and many other tour players as well. Whether it was by accident due to meds or he was hoping to slide under the radar, if he didn't ask about the drugs knowing he could be chosen for drug testing, then it was his stupidity that got him suspended. Same is true for professional cyclists, one of which lives nearby.

That said, with the questionable values and weak moral beliefs of youth today, it wouldn't surprise me if some are in some fashion using drugs now, and more get caught for this or that. We have more sleaze balls in this country today then ever before.

I read an Interview with Zach Johnson in Golf Magazine (november issue), in which when asked about the doping policy he said he had to stop taking Propecia while preparing for and playing in The Open Championship. He can take it while playing regular PGA tour events but Propecia is listed on the R&A's list because it can mask other drugs. He admits that he is still currently taking it.