Several major golf tours around the world signed on to a performance-enhancing drug program yesterday. This move is at best something that needed to be done to conform with today’s “sporting mentality.” Golf is more of a sport than ever. Professionals are working out to increase their strength and endurance and looking to gain any possible advantage on the field they can.
The list of banned drugs includes the typical steroids and narcotics, but it also includes beta blockers, which are used to stay calm. Reduced anxiety seems far more valuable than increased strength, the later of which does little for one’s golf game without the touch and feel to control it.
It is curious to note that the drug policy as described at the PGA Tour.com, although adopted for several U.S.G.A. sanctioned events, is not applied to any amateur events. Perhaps this was an oversight in the reporting.