PGA Tour Resists Blood Testing Due To Performance Effects!?

While one can make a case for the PGA Tour's aversion to drug testing over the years since image is sales point #1, their case for not moving to blood testing is tied to performance impact, reports SI's Pete Madden.

Without blood testing, there is no way to detect the use of HGH, easily the most attractive possibility for a golfer seeking to recover faster from injuries or simply to look as young as Dr. Galea, Tiger's rehab man of choice. Though as of May that testing will take place because of the Olympics. Still, the reason for no blood testing obtained by Madden from Andy Levinson of the Tour is pretty funny. Especially since drug testing occurs after rounds.

“Taking blood draws from golfers’ arms might impact performance if it caused a hematoma or a player suffered anemia given the fine motor skills required on certain golf shots,” Levinson said.

And WADA isn't buying it. Never a good thing.

David Howman, WADA's director general, was skeptical of the PGA Tour’s rationale on not blood testing athletes.

“We’re not talking about a transfusion,” Howman said. “It’s a very small amount of blood. If any of the arguments against collecting blood had strong scientific or medical rational, I think we would have heard about it long before now.”

Comments

[KLG]

Ha! This is just another proof that boys are total wimps when it comes to needles (somewhat guilty): The PA says we'll have to take some blood and a woman holds out her arm; a boy of any age starts negotiating...won't a urine sample do? But I'm guessing the Panjandrums of Ponte Vedra could find a phlebotomist able to take 5 ml of blood using a vacutainer tube without causing perceptible damage. Athletes generally have pretty good veins. Right?

[Louis Friend]

Anemia from a single blood draw. You learn something new every day.

[Colin MacGillivray]

Golf is one of the few games in the world where the rules are followed and no one moans or appeals or shouts at the ref etc. Damn shame and pathetic that it is not able do the right thing with drug testing.

[Ivan Morris]

Well said, MacG! I am a haemochromatosis sufferer. I have to undergo 'blood letting' every month of my life. It doesn't stop me playing golf and sometimes I do it quite well. What's wrong with these guys? BTW - I was drug-tested once when playing in the European Seniors Am in France on a day that reached 41-degrees celsius. It took well over an hour and 'gallons' of water down the hatch before my dehydrated system could pee. It would have been so much easier to suffer a quick prick.

[gov. lepetomane]

" “Taking blood draws from golfers’ arms might impact performance if it caused a hematoma or a player suffered anemia given the fine motor skills required on certain golf shots,” Levinson said."
It is as if the Tour's PR people had a meeting and tried to think of (and use) the most lame explanation they could think of.

[JS]

Almost seems intentionally inept, I agree gov...

I wonder if the independent contractor issue plays a part in this, or if the Tour just wants to trip over themselves to make sure they don't know.

[thusgone]

jesus, what's next, mandatory liver biopsies?

[V60]

I am an expert at blood draws. What a load of crap the tour is spewing. They are protecting their main draw so to speak. Come on now. Anemia? From drawing a vial of blood.? LOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOL. When I was in the hospital getting draws 6 times a day the only thing I got was black and blue marks on my arms and constipation from the hospital food. THEY are protecting their main cash cow!! This is absurd.

[ed]

"hey Tim, the Olympics called! they are going to blood testing"

tim-"Will they kick golf out of the olympics if we dont do it"

"no"

tim-"then don't do it"

[digsouth]

Like V60, I have a blood letting once a month, 3 vials worth, then I'm poked and on an IV for 6-7 hours, and I have 2 shots I have to give myself, one with a 1 1/2'' 21G needle twice a month.

When PM called me after R1 of last years Houston Open, he had just went from the scoring trailer to the drug test, so the ''post round'' is correct and shoots big holes in all the other holes given by tthe PGAT.

FWIW, I wish they would allow HGH to help heal- I see it as another medicine, not as a way to cheat. Now once the healing is done, then the med should be stopped.

I also think that given the past 50 years of sports/drugs, maybe it's time to just say eff it- 'roid out and die if you are that stupid.

[Willie]

I suspect a few top players might come down with lumbar tightness when team-selection time nears.

Or glute issues, maybe.

[Brad Ford]

Because I am a very difficult draw, blood draws almost always involves multiple sticks. Most of the time, a draw requires the use of a butterfly needle stuck into the vein on the top of my hand. In addition to being painful, I often end up with a huge black bruise on the top of my hand. When that happens, I don't play golf until the swelling goes down.

If some nitwit decided that I needed to give blood during a tournament, it would almost certainly affect my performance and I don't blame the PGA Tour players for balking at the unnecessary intrusion into their life and bodies.

At some point, there really can be too much drug testing.

[Louis Friend]

Brad,

Your experience is hardly a reason not to test for HGH in sports.

[counterpoint]

Can't you draw blood from other, less golf impacted areas?

I have a pretty enormous backside, wouldn't that work?

[Counterpoint]

You cannot draw blood from your bottom. They need to draw from a vein.

Typically, they try to draw from the vein inside of your elbow. If that doesn't work, the second choice is on the top of your hand. For most people, it is not a problem. For others, it is. It would be unfair to draw blood from me during a competition. A WD due to complications from blood draw would be bad for everyone.

Until they find a way to test for HGH without a blood test, they should only be allowed to test during off weeks.

[Center Cut]

Mske it compulsory.
Do it immediately after a tournament and before an off-week.
End of argument.

[chicago pt]

what a joke...I wonder if any journalist is doing any follow up on this story...