Drug Testing Coming To The U.S. Amateurs...

What administrative joy this will bring...click to enlarge the email that went out to past amateur participants today:

Comments

[KLG]

Oh, bullsh*t. Period.
I'm old enough to remember when this was the law of the land. Sort of. More or less: "The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized."

[digsouth]

No kidding. People have laid over, and given up rights to search, the seizure in drug cases, where charges are not even carried out, but the property is taken, resulting in sheriffs with pretty fancy cars, and such, and then you have jobs denied and insurance premiums higher from fraudulent credit agencies, where at least 25% of reports are wrong, and agencies NEVER correct them, even with vigorous attempts to correct them.

Sadly, too many people are content playing golf and ''being left alone'' amd so we have body searches, money inquiries, close to monopolized business, a government who calls a company a person, and gives them more rights than the citizens, and iminent domain has been used, where the taxes are more from potential land use than the current property owner.

Is it any wonder that there is fear of gun seizure.... I don't own any guns, but I damn sure believe citizens need to remain vigilant, and the second amendment is important for that very reason.

I would say many AMS are not going to bother entering, not from abusing any drugs, but simply because they don't want to go thru the reamer.

[No Longer Used to be Former Stack & Tilt Convert]

What about the Senior Am, do you know how hard it is for old guys to start a stream on command?

[gov. lepetomane]

"Yes, Dr. Hospel, I have a physician signed medical verification that my deer antler skin levels are subtherapeutic."

[Later] Ruts. "Mabel . . . we're in the clear. They bought it!"

[Ludell Hogwaller]

I raced amateur bicycles for 30+ yrs, under the threat of constant testing and they never caught . . . uh, they never once tested me.

I would believe it's CYA smoke emanating from them far hills.

Or could be like that model where they never give out penalty strokes for slow play at pro level, but . . . never mind.

[Jeremy]

Pretty much every mid Am with any sort of blood pressure issues will need to get a TUE. I'm on 2 different meds for blood pressure that are on the banned substance list.

[Ghost of Perry Maxwell]

Disappointing, wrong move and it will end badly.

[Marker81]

This seems like a good idea on the surface but I think it is going too far. These leagues are now acting as though anyone who would like to participate becomes their property.

[Cheeks]

Clearly this is related to the Olympics.

[OPGolfer]

Does the name Lance Armstrong ring a bell?

Aren't they just trying to do the right thing?

[DTF]

If they go back to Cherry Hills will a positive "cannanbinoid" test result in sanctions? The skunk is legal there you know...

[Manku]

Wait a minute...you can't get high and play in the USGA. I'm not talking about puffing up on the first tee, but doesn't weed stay in the system for a while?

That's a drag!

[johnnnycz]

Great posts Ky and Digs...top notch top notch!

When I read this I thought 2 things:

1) In what fantasy world were they living in when they hit the send button?

2) The US Am field is basically single college aged kids in the prime of their youthful exuberance and they're being told to stay away from ingesting substances?

Since I'm not one of the recipients of said email, I would like to see someone apply for a TUE and list every know party drug to man and then some as well as all the known/popular PEDs. Then when confronted, and rest assuredly denied, demand them to show proof a drug that helps one play better golf exists or else the civil rights lawyers are to be released upon the USGA offices.

But this isn't new at all, 30+ yrs ago my figure skating older sister had a list of prohibitive substances for her competitions. Things like Sudafed and Neo Citron and even nasal spray...which seemed silly b/c it's usually cold in an arena, but I guess snot drips are part of the sport.

[H401]

"Is it any wonder that there is fear of gun seizure.... I don't own any guns, but I damn sure believe citizens need to remain vigilant, and the second amendment is important for that very reason."

Only in America could a discussion about golf result in a reference to the 2nd Amendment. Well done.

[CJ]

I agree with the sentiment of many people that this is, at best, a questionable move by the USGA. But comments about search and seizure are off the mark. The 4th Amendment protects Americans from unreasonable searches and seizures by the GOVERNMENT not private parties. The USGA may be "the governing body" but they are not the government.

That being said, did anybody else notice that the USGA has told Am participants to contact the USGA Medical Officer at a Yahoo email account. Is it me or does that make the USGA kinda look rinky-dink? Can't the USGA afford to give Dr. Hospel (their Medical Officer) an email address like "saynotodrugs@usga.org" or "medical_officer@usga.org?

[PABoy]

No testing at Publinx

[smails]

why are they testing amateurs? the whole olympic golf thing was dead unti lthey agreed to use PROFESSIONALS in it. amateurs will have no chance to make the olympics, so why test em?