European Tour to begin drug testing in July

The European Tour is ready to begin drug testing its players in July, chief executive George O'Grady said.

'We are almost certain to start the week of the European Open (at the London Club from 3-6 July) or maybe it will be the Scottish Open (at Loch Lomond a week later),' O'Grady told reporters at the PGA Championship at Wentworth.

O'Grady said the European Tour was in the same boat as most of the other leading organisations around the world as far as golf's anti-doping policy was concerned.

'(US PGA Tour) Commissioner Tim Finchem, David Fay (of the US Golf Association), Peter Dawson (of the R&A), Carolyn Bivens (of the LPGA Tour) and Alex Armas (of the Ladies European Tour) are all onside and we all effectively have the same policy,' he said.

'We are charged with pulling the rest of the world into shape.'

Last month the R&A, which governs golf in all countries except the US and Mexico, said it had shelved plans to bring in drug testing for the British Open at Royal Birkdale in July.

O'Grady said the first major to test for drugs would be the US PGA Championship in Michigan in August.

'I see they (the PGA of America) are going to do it at the US PGA Championship, the first major to do testing using the PGA Tour's policy,' he said.

'They will also have the anti-doping unit on site for the Ryder Cup (in Valhalla in September). Whether it is used or not will depend on things on the week but it will be there so it could happen.'

Although golf appears to be unaffected by performance-enhancing drugs, there have been widespread calls for the governing bodies to put testing policies in place.

The LPGA Tour left the other major tours lagging behind when it announced plans last November to start drug testing players in the first quarter of 2008.

Last November, the PGA Tour said its drug testing programme could start as early as this July.

O'Grady also said he and Finchem had held talks with International Olympic Committee (IOC) president Jacques Rogge about golf becoming an Olympic sport in time for the 2016 Games.

'At the US Masters (last month) commissioner Finchem stated the PGA Tour was now going to back the inclusion of golf in the Olympics...and on Thursday all of us went to Lausanne to meet with President Rogge,' said the European Tour chief.

'We now know all the obstacles we have to overcome, all the ground rules we have to satisfy.

'We know the timescale when we have to present our case. We know the support we have to have from around the world.'