What use are drugs to golfers anyway?

I can honestly say that in all my time in golf, I have never seen or heard of anyone taking drugs.

The profession is a small community, and you would hear the whispers in the locker room if someone was up to no good.

The murky subject of drugs has been raised with the recent case surrounding Vijay Singh, and comments Greg Norman made in an Aussie newspaper interview.

A few years ago, Gary Player chose The Open at Carnoustie to state he was certain that golfers were taking drugs.

Now, I have a lot of respect for Gary, but those remarks were unhelpful and unsubstantiated.

There has been a furore surrounding Vijay and his deer antler spray, but the PGA Tour cleared him of any wrongdoing.

Vijay (below) has certainly been naive, but some people had already decided he was guilty and wanted him thrown to the lions.

They may have expected a knee-jerk reaction or ban from Tour boss, Tim Finchem, but that’s not how he works.

Golf is now an Olympic sport, however, and it has to fall into line with the same tough stance on drugs as other sports.

While I don’t believe there’s a problem, the golf authorities have to be seen to be robust and treat the issue seriously.

They must be decisive and put the right procedures in place.

If golf has to introduce random blood testing to satisfy the World Anti-Doping Agency and the general public, then so be it.

It may be inconvenient, but the players would understand it was necessary to show our sport is clean.

One question that springs to mind, though, is what ‘performance-enhancing’ drug would improve your golf?

I was on the European Tour Committee a few years ago, and between us and the doctors, we were unsure as to what drugs to look for.

People can get fitter and stronger and hit the ball farther, but golf is all about technique and finesse.

You won’t see a golfer make a dramatic ‘improvement’ the way Ben Johnson cheated his way to the top in the 100 metres.

What drug is there to improve your bunker play or hole a crucial six-foot putt?

This week our attention turns to The Players Championship, or as many would have you believe, the fifth Major.

The event is run by the PGA Tour and they’d love their tournament to be elevated to Major status.

It has the strongest field of the year , the richest purse and a prestigious title.

I won the European equivalent at Moortown in 1980. But for some reason, it never had the same gravitas as the US version.

The Americans are desperate for success at Sawgrass. The course suits them down to the ground.

And how can I mention Sawgrass without talking about the famous 17th hole?

It’s only 137 yards long, but with an island green surrounded by water, it certainly gets your attention.

Some think it’s gimmicky, but I think it’s a great hole.

The guys are playing the par-five 16th but they’re already thinking about their shot at the next tee, and starting to feel tense.

Believe me, pros are as scared of knocking one into the water as amateurs in a friendly game!