Banned by US PGA Tour, but nothing to

stop Doug Barron playing on mini-tours

Surprising news today that Doug Barron, banned for a year by the US PGA Tour for violation of the tour's anti-doping policy, is able to play in any of the mini-tours that abound in America.
Barron returned to competition this week on the Adams Golf Winter Series. He struggled to a 4-over 76 at Cypress Lakes Golf Club in Cypress, Texas and missed the cut.
Barron would not discuss his suspension in an interview with Golfweek, citing advice of counsel. Neither Barron nor the US PGA Tour will disclose which substance Barron had used. However, Barron was emphatic about one point relating to his suspension, the first under the Tour’s drug policy enacted last year.
“I’ve never taken any drug to enhance my performance,” Barron said. “I’m just trying to play golf.”
None of the mini-tours has a policy regarding drug use or whether they would let a banned player from another tour participate.
Barron contacted Adams Golf Pro Tour Series officials after he had been banned by the PGA and Nationwide tours.
“We don’t have a drug policy,” said Gary DeSerrano, president of the Adams Golf tour, when asked about Barron’s participation. “Pockets aren’t deep enough for us to do something like that. I don’t see any mini-tour not allowing him to play. If they did, they would open themselves up to legal action that they don’t want any part of.”
Barron’s golf life veered down an uncharted path when he provided a urine sample in June at the St. Jude Classic. He received a sponsor’s exemption to his hometown event in Memphis, Tenn. A journeyman, Barron, 40, was playing in his first PGA Tour event in three years. He had four Nationwide Tour starts in 2009, with no cuts made.
Much of Barron’s career has been beset with medical problems. Though it had been reported that he was playing on the Nationwide Tour under a medical exemption, Barron rebuts that, saying he had to Monday-qualify or receive sponsor exemptions this year.
Barron, who graduated from Mississippi State with a marketing degree in 1992, has struggled in recent years. He hasn’t made a cut on the Nationwide Tour since August 2008; his last weekend on the PGA Tour was at Greensboro in 2006, his last full season on Tour.
His future? “I imagine I will go to work,” he said.
When he wasn’t playing golf this year because of his medical issues, Barron was working for AdzZoo, an Internet advertising company.
“It’s made me want to work harder on my golf game,” Barron said.
Next week, Doug Barron will turn his attention to April Sound Country Club & Resort in Montgomery, Texas, and the second event on the Adams Golf’s Winter Series. He’s also considering play on the eGolf Tour. And there’s always the job back at AdzZoo.
Despite the setback, Barron got an emotional boost in recent days.
“I received 30 to 40 phone calls of support from peers, friends and some I didn’t consider friends,” Barron said. “It helps me to make it through this one way or another.”
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