"Significant" number of US Tour pros have tested

postive for drugs but not been punished" - lawyer

FROM THE GUARDIAN.CO.UK WEBSITE
A lawyer acting for the first player banned under golf's anti-doping policy has claimed a "significant" number of US PGA Tour pros had tested positive for drugs but not been punished by the authorities.
Jeffrey Rosenblum told a court in Memphis the tour had singled out Doug Barron, a journeyman professional, for punishment in an attempt to prove it was serious about its anti-doping policy while at the same time ignoring a number of other alleged positive tests for recreational drugs such as marijuana and cocaine.
Barron, who has made $3m in prize money during his US PGA Tour career, was banned for a year after testing positive this summer for beta-blockers and testosterone – both drugs prescribed by his doctors to combat medical conditions.
He had sought, and had been denied, "therapeutic exemptions" to take the drugs and continue to play in tour events.
"I cannot say how many positive tests there have been on the tour but from discussions I have had with my client and other people, I believe the number is significant," Rosenblum told the Guardian.
"I am very concerned that if the PGA Tour knew of even one person who took an illegal drug and yet chose not to punish that person, while at the same time my client was thrown out of the sport for one year. I believe that is an abuse of discretion."
The US PGA Tour could not be reached for comment last night. Earlier this year, its commissioner Tim Finchem was asked about the use of recreational drugs on tour and said, "We may have had some test results that trouble. But we don't publicise those. We treat those as conduct unbecoming. I'm not saying this has happened or not, I'm just saying what the process is.
"If we get a test like that, we will consider it conduct unbecoming, and what are our choices? We can suspend a player, we can fine a player, we can do both of those and put a player into treatment. We could also add to that regular testing,'' he added.
Barron's lawyer said that if the case progressed he would seek a disclosure order from the court requiring the PGA Tour to provide all records of any positive drugs tests since the introduction of its anti-doping policy last year, including the type of drug use uncovered and the names of the players who had allegedly been involved.
"It is just not fair for the PGA Tour to sit in its ivory tower and cast judgment on people in an inconsistent way. This is Doug Barron's livelihood. It is how he supports his wife and kids,'' Rosenblum added.
A ruling on the Barron's request for a stay was expected today (local time).