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ST. AUGUSTINE, Florida: Golf’s global governing bodies announced
the adopting of a doping-test program for professional golfers
starting in 2008, releasing a list of banned substances Thursday.
Agreeing in principle after years
of work were the major rule-making bodies, the Royal and Ancient
Golf Club and the US Golf Association, as well as the PGA and LPGA
tours, European Tour, PGA of America and Augusta National Golf Club.
Their agreement ensures common
doping practices at men’s and women’s major championships, the
Ryder Cup and tour events worldwide.
Also agreeing to the plan were
the Asian, Australasian, Canadian, Japan, South Africa’s Sunshine
and South America’s Americas tours. The Nationwide development
tour and 50-and-over Champions Tour would also feature dope tests.
US PGA commissioner Tim Finchem
said that about US$1.5 million a year will be spent on doping tests
with start-up and administrative costs likely to boost that figure
for the next two or three years to establish the program.
Finchem said a recommendation in
November is expected to be for the US PGA Tour to begin tests in May
or June next year. The LPGA will begin testing in the first three
months of 2008 and the European Tour will start tests in 2008.
--AFP
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