Golf Tidbits: Should we believe Finchem?
Golf Betting Lines
07/02/2009 -
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - PGA Tour commissioner Tim Finchem met the
media on Wednesday at Congressional Country Club, site of this week's AT&T
National, and discussed many subjects.
The biggest topic was drug testing. Finchem announced that one year into
testing, the PGA Tour is clean.
"The players took it very seriously. They got educated," Finchem stated.
"We've had over 1,000 tests in the last year. The testing processes worked
extremely well. The players have cooperated."
Though who gets tested is anonymous unless a player talks about it, one could
gather that every PGA Tour player has been tested. If you combine the 2008 and
2009 money lists, there are over 500 names but many are duplicates.
The drug tests screen for a variety of drugs, but suspensions would only have
been handed down for performance-enhancing drugs. A failed test for a
recreational drug such as cocaine or marijuana would not result in a
suspension.
"I said we have had no positive tests with respect to performance-enhancing,"
Finchem said. "We may have had some test results that trouble us in other
areas that we treat in a different bucket. But we don't publicize those. We
treat those as 'conduct unbecoming.' I'm not saying this has happened or not."
Should we believe Finchem that the tour is clean? I think you can read between
the lines of Finchem's quote and know that the answer is no, the tour isn't
clean.
Obviously, as he states, there were no failed tests for PED's. But the gray
area for the tour, the players and the media alike is those who may have
failed tests for recreational drugs. It is easy to see why those names and
results would not be published.
If someone were to fail a test, that person obviously used illegal drugs.
Charges could be filed, though just as it is with any member of the public,
authorities would have a tough time charging said player though as it would be
tough to prove in which jurisdiction the person may have taken or possessed
the drugs.
Finchem said the testing process has gone from random to selective. If a
player hadn't been chosen randomly, the tour would then choose that player for
testing. Under the current system, the tour has shifted to regular testing.
"We have reason to believe that a player may be using an illegal substance or
may have a substance problem and he's in a program and we want to test him, we
just test him on a regular basis," said Finchem.
"You've got to play by the rules."
Whether players are truly playing by those rules is open to your own
interpretation of Finchem's comments.
BOOM OR BUST FOR GLOVER?
Lucas Glover followed his first major championship win with a share of 11th
place last week at the Travelers Championship. It's hard to say based on that
result whether the U.S. Open victory launched Glover's career, or launched a
drought.
Since Tiger Woods burst onto the scene at the 1997 Masters, there have been
seven multiple major winners and 19 others that have won a single major title.
Three of those 19 had won major titles before Woods turned professional.
Some of those 19 winners have seen their careers go into a tailspin after
their major championship victory. David Duval's plummet in the world rankings
is well documented, though part of that was injury-related.
Since 2002, three major winners have not won another event, four if you
include Glover, who is playing this week for the second time since winning the
U.S. Open.
Rich Beem (2002 PGA Championship), Shaun Micheel (2003 PGA Championship) and
Trevor Immelman (2008 Masters) are winless since claiming those major
victories.
Glover, like Immelman, is young and is still gathering experience. But neither
would he fall into the flash-in-the-pan category, as the win was his second on
the PGA Tour and he has also played on a Presidents Cup team.
It is too early to tell which direction Glover's career will go, but there are
indications based on a solid follow-up performance that his first major
championship win could be the first of many.
MINI-TIDBITS
- There are more financial woes on the horizon for the LPGA Tour. This week's
25th Jamie Farr Owens Corning Classic may be the last and the organizers of
the two-year-old Kapalua LPGA Classic have pulled out of their contract with
financial problems.
- No surprise that Tiger Woods topped the list of highest-earning American
athletes with nearly $100 million earned last year. Phil Mickelson at No. 2 is
a mild surprise, and Jim Furyk's name also made the top 50 at the No. 41 spot.
<< Shane Sellers returns tonight at Evangeline
Opelousas, LA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Retired jockey Shane Sellers begins his
return to the races tonight (Thursday) at Evangeline Downs in Louisiana.
Sellers has been away from racing for 4 1/2 years due to a serious knee
injury.
<< Flames sign Garth Murray
Calgary, AB (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Calgary Flames have signed veteran center
Garth Murray and forward Riley Armstrong.
Terms of the contracts were not disclosed.
Murray appeared in 10 games last season for Phoenix and did not registe
<< Blackhawks sign Madden away from New Jersey
Chicago, IL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Chicago Blackhawks have signed center John
Madden to a one-year contract.
Financial terms of the deal for the long-time New Jersey Devils defensive
standout were not disclosed, but the Newark Star-Le
<< Serena outlasts Dementieva to reach fifth Wimbledon final
Wimbledon, England (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - In one of the best women's matches
played here in some time, two-time champion Serena Williams snuck past Olympic
gold medalist Elena Dementieva on Thursday to reach her fifth Wimbledon final.
The second
<< Creamer withdraws from title defense
Sylvania, OH (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Paula Creamer withdrew from her title defense
at the Jamie Farr Owens Corning Classic before teeing off Thursday.
Creamer injured her left thumb last week and had received treatment on the
injury since wi
Hossa's Cup quest leads him to Chicago >>
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - It's every NHL player's dream to win a
Stanley Cup title, and Marian Hossa is certainly no exception.
Over the past few years, Hossa's travels have taken him from Atlanta to
Pittsburgh to Detroit, and desp
Sister Act 4: Serena, Venus to meet in fourth Wimbledon final >>
Wimbledon, England (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Second-seeded Serena Williams and third-
seeded Venus Williams will square off in Saturday's ladies' final at
Wimbledon, where Venus topped Serena in last year's third all-Williams finale
at the All England
Rockies deal Baker to Cubs >>
Denver, CO (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Colorado Rockies traded infielder Jeff Baker
to the Chicago Cubs Thursday in exchange for minor league pitcher Alberto
Alburquerque.
The Rockies had placed Baker on the 15-day disabled list with a
Altidore among seven added to U.S. Gold Cup team >>
Chicago, IL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Jozy Altidore was among seven players added to
the United States' Gold Cup roster, a change allowed by CONCACAF for any team
also playing in the FIFA Confederations Cup.
Forward Conor Casey, midfielders
Materazzi signs three-year extension with Inter >>
Milan, Italy (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Defender Marco Materazzi has signed a three-
year contract extension with Inter Milan.
Materazzi, 35, had 12 months remaining on his existing deal but is now under
contract at the San Siro until 2012.
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