McIlroy backs new drug tests

Four-time Major winner Rory McIlroy has come out in support of the PGA Tour’s drug-testing reforms, which introduce blood screening and revise the list of banned substances to match the World Anti-Doping Agency’s directory for the 2017-18 season.

Last July, the Briton expressed concern over the lack of regular drug testing in golf compared with other Olympic sports and advocated the introduction of blood testing.

The PGA tour said on Tuesday that urine tests would still make up the bulk of examinations but blood screening would be introduced to detect human growth hormones. Policies regarding player suspensions for illegal drugs use would be made more transparent.

“If we’re not blood-testing, we’re not doing all we can to make sure that golf is a clean sport, so I obviously welcome the news,” McIlroy was quoted as saying by the Daily Telegraph ahead of Thursday’s first round of the Travelers Championship.

“If golf wants to be a sport in the Olympics, it needs to get on board with everything that all the other sports do as well.

“I really don’t think anyone should be fearful as I don’t think that golf has any sort of drug problem at all. You have to be so careful about what you take, but that’s part and parcel about being an athlete.”

McIlroy, who has battled a recurring rib injury since January, has not won a tournament in 2017 and missed the cut at the US Open last week.

“I felt 2017 was going to be a transitional year. It’s still got two Majors [left] and I’d like to finish it well. But if I look back over my first 10 years as a pro, am I happy with where my career’s at? I would say, ‘yes, I guess’. But I feel like in the next 10 years, I can do better.”