Scott Stallings handed three-month doping  

suspension by US PGA Tour

Scott Stallings is sidelined for three months by suspension

FROM SKYSPORTS.COM

Scott Stallings has been handed a three-month doping suspension by the US PGA Tour after he told officials he had inadvertently taken a supplement that was on the banned list.

The 30-year-old American is only the third player punished since the Tour adopted the anti-doping policy in 2008.
Stallings, who is the first US PGA Tour winner to be banned, immediately reported the violation when he learned of it in February, but the US PGA has only just imposed the punishment.
"I regret my inadvertent mistake in not doing my homework to know for sure what was on the list of permitted and non-permitted substances," Stallings said.
"I take responsibility and accept the penalty imposed by the PGA Tour.
"I discovered in February 2015 that I had inadvertently taken a supplement for the prior two months that was not permitted by the PGA Tour.
"I did so on the recommendation of my physician due to chronic fatigue I had felt over a period of time, not in any way for performance enhancement.
"I immediately self-reported this fact to the PGA Tour, consistent with my values and with the long tradition of self-reporting all rules violations on or off the golf course."
Neither the PGA Tour nor Stallings revealed what the banned substance was as Tour policy only requires it to confirm a ban and its length.
"Mr Stallings self-reported this information after discovering that a supplement that he was taking was on the prohibited list," the US PGA Tour said in a statement.
"He will be eligible to return on October 7, 2015. The Tour will have no further comment on the suspension at this time."
Stallings, ranked 154th in the world, has missed the cut in seven of 12 events and finished outside the top 60 in four others since losing in a play-off at Torrey Pines in February while defending his most recent career title.
He also won the 2011 Greenbrier Classic as a PGA rookie and took the 2012 True South Classic. His best showing in nine major starts was a share of 27th at the 2012 Masters but he will miss all four majors this year.
Stallings played no more than five events during the time frame in which he said he was on the banned substance, sharing 14th at the Tournament of Champions and 64th at the Humana Challenge in January. He missed the cut at Phoenix and was 66th at Riviera around his Torrey Pines title defence.
Stallings won $579,927 from six events starting in February at Torrey Pines, at least some of it after having told the PGA of his violation.
Doug Barron, who had not had a full PGA Tour card in three years, was suspended for one year in October 2009 for taking a substance to cope with low testosterone. His lawsuit against the tour was settled and he was granted a therapeutic use exemption the following year.
In January, Bhavik Patel on the Web.com Tour was suspended for taking a banned substance. Patel said he had a lapse in judgment.