Tour News

PGA Tour to begin blood testing for PEDs in 2017-2018 season

Published

9 years ago

Jun 20, 2017

The PGA Tour will begin blood testing for PEDs for 2017-2018 season

In addition to adding blood testing to its anti-doping efforts, the PGA Tour will also report drug suspensions next season, the Policy Board has confirmed.

The Tour will also square its list of banned substance with the World Anti-Doping Association’s Prohibited List of Substances and Methods.

Critics of the Tour’s policy have called for all of the above.

Blood testing will allow the Tour to screen for human growth hormone, which can’t be detected through the present urine tests.

Additionally, the Tour will amend its present policy of announcing player suspension for performance-enhancing drugs to include suspensions for all drugs (e.g. recreational).

“While we are extremely pleased with the implementation and results of the PGA Tour Anti-Doping Program to date, we believe that these changes to our program are prudent in that they further our objectives of protecting the well-being of our members and better substantiate the integrity of golf as a clean sport,” said PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan.

To ensure players are up to date with the changes, the Tour is beginning a comprehensive education program about the new testing and expanded Prohibited List.

The Tour will continue its Therapeutic Use Exemption (TUE) to allow players with established conditions to use otherwise banned substance if medically necessary.

The Tour established its Anti-Doping Program in 2008.

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Ben Alberstadt

Ben Alberstadt is the Editor-in-Chief at GolfWRX, where he’s led editorial direction and gear coverage since 2018. He first joined the site as a freelance writer in 2012 after years spent working in pro shops and bag rooms at both public and private golf courses, experiences that laid the foundation for his deep knowledge of equipment and all facets of this maddening game. Based in Philadelphia, Ben’s byline has also appeared on PGATour.com, Bleacher Report...and across numerous PGA DFS and fantasy golf platforms. Off the course, Ben is a committed cat rescuer and, of course, a passionate Philadelphia sports fan. Follow him on Instagram @benalberstadt.

36 Comments

Frankie

Jun 23, 2017 at 2:14 pm

Are LSD and shrooms still allowed on Tour?

Reply Report comment
- E
  
  Jun 24, 2017 at 3:21 am
  
  Those aren’t performance-enhancing, they’re comedy-inducing, so yes, they are permitted lol
  
  Reply Report comment
setter02

Jun 22, 2017 at 11:59 pm

I’m sure they will get right on this stuff like they care about slow play…

Reply Report comment
Barry

Jun 22, 2017 at 11:33 am

How will this affect the Matt Every’s of the world? Will their games take a hit if they can’t smoke any more left-handed cigarettes before their rounds?

Reply Report comment
- Matt
  
  Jun 23, 2017 at 12:24 am
  
  Well, if it comes from the earth it shouldn’t be on a banned substances list 😉
  
  Reply Report comment
  - SH
    
    Jun 24, 2017 at 1:56 pm
    
    As opposed to things that come from Space on a meteor? Duh
    
    Reply Report comment
Matt

Jun 22, 2017 at 2:36 am

I don’t see the use of PED’s and HGH benefitting golfers. Finesse games like golf, archery, bowls, etc are entirely different to intense endurance, ball, and contact sports. Can imagine beta blockers like Propranadol would be in use for golf however.

Reply Report comment
- Was
  
  Jun 23, 2017 at 10:00 am
  
  Try walking 36 holes and also hit a few buckets of balls in one day. And try to see if you can play 5 rounds of golf in a week back to back all walking and shoot at least Par or better on all those days and tell us how you feel about it then. You’re allowed to use a caddy, if you want. And on any of those days you felt like you felt some pain or fatigue and decided to use any meds or something else to help you, consider that there may be some things out there in the world that may help you carry you thru that without any of the pain or fatigue.
  
  Reply Report comment
Bob Pegram

Jun 21, 2017 at 11:10 pm

What does PED stand for?
How can they test for HGH (human growth hormone) when it it is naturally produced by the body? That doesn’t make sense. Would they test for excessive amounts in the blood or what? People who age more slowly keep producing it way longer than those who age quickly. It is partly hereditary and also affected by how much exercise a person has done over the years, by diet, etc. Especially in older people there is a wide variance.

Reply Report comment
- SH
  
  Jun 22, 2017 at 3:41 am
  
  https://www.wada-ama.org
  
  Reply Report comment
Joe Doaks

Jun 21, 2017 at 8:15 pm

Jim and Ders are spot on. PEDs aid greatly in recovery. HGH has been used on the PGA Tour for several years. A number of players from the PGA Tour and the Web.com Tour trained in the same gym I trained in for several years. It is not always the young bulked up guys doing PEDs, it is sometimes the guys further down the money list and older that are looking for any edge to be competitive.

Reply Report comment
Bishop

Jun 21, 2017 at 4:29 pm

One of the items I didn’t see on the list: Deer Antler Velvet. Isn’t that what Vijay was taking to get him his suspension?

Reply Report comment
carl spackler

Jun 21, 2017 at 2:44 pm

looking at the list, adderall is not banned? by far the most used drug on tour

Reply Report comment
Tom54

Jun 21, 2017 at 9:32 am

I agree with everything said but just want to add one thing. I hope the PGA tour never has to worry about its reputation with worrying about any player deserving of an asterisk if they are found to be using pens. That would be a damaging blow to all. I hope for the best though

Reply Report comment
Rich

Jun 21, 2017 at 9:03 am

Glad to see that the Tour is going to be transparent.Rory didn’t just buff up from lifting weights and the same said of Tiger.These things have already shown not to be that much of a plus in golf other than endurance.It will sell tight fitting shirts . But too dense tissue can be restricting causing injury from tightness and movement loss and pain as a result. Drug use is everywhere so why would we think it’s not on the tour ? Produce the names and this will change the game .No product manufacture
wants their product attached to a player using PED’s or Drugs.

Reply Report comment
- Rich
  
  Jun 21, 2017 at 9:12 am
  
  Just to clear the statement a little, I’m not saying that Rory or Tiger have used PED’s but the appearance of gaining mass could let some think that one has used some substance whether legal or not.
  
  Reply Report comment
  - Beefhouse
    
    Jun 21, 2017 at 11:10 am
    
    Of course they use supplements. Every golfer on tour will use them, to some extent.. even if it’s just an energy drink. As with cycling, athletics etc. it’s all about knowing what side of the line you’re on and staying comfortably on that side.
    
    Let’s get one thing clear… in the wider world, neither Rory or Tiger are massive. They are an athletic build, having shifted some iron. There is of course plenty of separate evidence to suggest that Tiger takes all sorts, but nothing for Rory other than he looks fitter than he did when he was on a diet of cheeseburgers and couldn’t squat!
    
    Reply Report comment
- Americans Ruin Everything by Talking
  
  Jun 21, 2017 at 11:00 am
  
  Rory is NOT buff. All photos of him without a shirt shows that he’s actually built normally, it’s the tight shirts he wears from Nike designed to make him look like that, but he is actually not buff, unlike someone like Jason Day. Edlrick is, however.
  
  Reply Report comment
Chris B

Jun 21, 2017 at 2:49 am

About time! Will any of the stats change?

Reply Report comment
- Beefhouse
  
  Jun 21, 2017 at 10:58 am
  
  Not when the clubs are on drugs!! Lol lol Callaway.
  
  Reply Report comment
  - Chris B
    
    Jun 22, 2017 at 1:58 am
    
    And the ball
    
    Reply Report comment
Was

Jun 21, 2017 at 2:33 am

Well, that’ll shut the door on Eldrick’s career, then, eh?

Reply Report comment
chuck

Jun 20, 2017 at 8:30 pm

Tcann32 knows his stuff.. the first 2 comments are from some serious amateurs.. like I WILL NOT reply to you guys.

Reply Report comment
Adam

Jun 20, 2017 at 6:17 pm

This was necessary. However, there has to be some element of surprise as to when tests will be administered.

I’m guessing 30% of pros use PED’s. Let’s see who suffers under the new policy.

Reply Report comment
ooffa

Jun 20, 2017 at 4:25 pm

The steroids took Tigers career. Rory is heading down the same path. If this helps keep these guys off of the PED’s it will be better for all of them.

Reply Report comment
- Beefhouse
  
  Jun 21, 2017 at 10:57 am
  
  It is a pretty lazy assumption to make that because someone lifts weights, they take steroids…
  
  Reply Report comment
  - Jack Nash
    
    Jun 21, 2017 at 12:06 pm
    
    It’s not an assumption when it’s been proven by surgeons that the first things to go from PED use are the joints, eg knees, because a persons anatomy, or bone structure is limited to a certain amount of muscle. Once that threshold is past the joints suffer greatly.
    
    Reply Report comment
    - TR1PTIK
      
      Jun 21, 2017 at 1:27 pm
      
      Yes, because Tiger and Rory are so “jacked” that they’ve reached this limit. LOL
      
      Reply Report comment
    - CCShop
      
      Jun 21, 2017 at 9:27 pm
      
      Yep. Guess it wasn’t the Navy Seal training or the 5-10 mile runs every morning in combat boots. His military workout obsession and injuries from that did him in.
      
      Reply Report comment
      - AB
        
        Jun 22, 2017 at 1:48 am
        
        Keeps drinking the tiger kool aids
        
        Reply Report comment
Tcann32

Jun 20, 2017 at 3:51 pm

The amount of worry behind this still doesn’t make any sense to me.. You don’t even have to be that strong to hit the ball far, and no drugs are going to help you achieve consistency and shot placement. The lowest score in PGA tour history was shot by a man that’s clearly not on any drugs. The argument of having more energy through and till the end of the round is hardly even valid either, as at the end of the day, the game just doesn’t require that much physical fitness. A few guys get into shape compared to the golfers of the past and everyone thinks PED’s are rampant.

That being said, if people are cheating, then they deserve to get caught, and I’m all for that.

Reply Report comment
- Was
  
  Jun 21, 2017 at 2:33 am
  
  Stamina, though. Some of that stuff can make you stay energized longer
  
  Reply Report comment
- Beefhoues
  
  Jun 21, 2017 at 4:40 am
  
  I agree, PEDs in golf don’t really make much sense. Justin Thomas and Bubba Watson both have arms like pipe cleaners yet they rip it out of sight.
  
  Tiger aside, I would be v surprised if any of the top players are juicing during the season. Rory and JDay just have typical gym bods that can be achieved by lifting heavy and eating more. However, in the bodybuilding/powerlifting/rugby communities, it’s often those persons who are lagging behind and desperate that get to the top that turn to PEDs.
  
  Reply Report comment
- Jim
  
  Jun 21, 2017 at 7:57 am
  
  It’s not about being strong, it’s about showing up Sunday and feeling brand new and less fatigued by a mile than the guy all natural. Steroids go far behoind just raw strength.
  
  Reply Report comment
  - Adam Crawford
    
    Jun 21, 2017 at 10:23 am
    
    Bingo.
    
    Reply Report comment
  - Ders
    
    Jun 21, 2017 at 7:49 pm
    
    Yup. If its a sport you can injure yourself at, its a sport in which you can benefit from steroids and HGH.
    
    Reply Report comment

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Tour Photo Galleries

Photos from the 2026 PGA Championship

Published

2 days ago

May 11, 2026

GolfWRX Staff

GolfWRX is on site for the second major of 2026: The PGA Championship from Aronimink in Newtown Square, Pennsylvania.

The tournament’s location, just outside Philadelphia, and its status as a major championship mean GolfWRXers are in for a treat: WITBs from a strong field, custom gear celebrating the PGA Championship, and the rich culture of the City of Brotherly Love — we have noted a relative absence of cheesesteak-themed items thus far this week, but most of the rest of the usual suspects are well represented.

Check out links to all our photos below.