More than ten years into his career as a professional golfer, Doug Barron has become a household name. Too bad it’s because he was the first player to fail a PGA Tour drug test! But following the initial announcement, new information has been slow to come to light… until now.

First, it looks like Barron’s going to be sitting idle for a while one way or another. Barron’s lawyers submitted a request in federal court that would have allowed Barron to compete in a qualifying tournament in Houston, but the magistrate denied that motion.

Next was the revelation that Barron had twice asked the PGA for a therapeutic exemption and been denied. It seems Barron has suffered from low testosterone levels and may have had some issues with his heart, both of which required prescriptions for the male hormone testosterone and beta blockers to keep his conditions in check.

Unfortunately for Doug, both of those substances are banned by the PGA because they can increase strength, speed recovery, and reduce nervousness – all obviously able to assist a competitive golfer.

The PGA’s drug policy is matter-of-fact: each golfer is solely responsible for their own body and what substances go into it, so a positive test means a suspension. But now the question seems to be how serious was Barron’s situation, and should the PGA have granted the medical exemption for his prescribed treatment?

Before you make up your mind, let this Caveman cast your mind back to 2001 when certifiably disabled golfer Casey Martin had to fight his way all the way to the US Supreme Court before being allowed to ride in a golf cart. (Martin was diagnosed with a degenerative circulatory disorder of his right leg.) The PGA stood by its statement that using a cart would “fundamentally alter the game,” but the Supreme Court sided with Martin.

No doubt there will be even more evidence to consider in Barron’s case before too long, and this Caveman will do his best to keep you posted!

-Scratch

PS: Since I dusted off the Casey Martin case, I’d love to hear your opinion: Does walking fundamentally change the game of golf? And I wanna know if you walk or ride, especially if you’ve found you play much better doing one versus the other!

BONUS: Should Pros Have To Carry Their Own Clubs?

It seems like the global economic issues have finally caught up to the top tiers of the golfin’ world. I know my Rock Heads have been dealin’ with their own financial problems for more than a year, and the LPGA is still looking for some sponsors to save their 2010 season, but now even the top Tour pros (yes, even Tiger Woods) are getting caught up in it. Here are just a couple examples that popped up this week:

• Dubai World Championship Cuts Prize Money – While this Caveman feels like $7.5 million still ain’t too shabby, that’s a full 25% less than the original $10M purse that was to have been given to the winner of this tourney, which marks the end of the European Tour’s season. Lee Westwood, who banked over $3M this year, put it in perspective: “We should not complain about the cut in the prize fund here because we are still competing for an awful lot of money, and we are aware that some of golf sponsors are struggling at the moment.”

Speaking of which…

• Nickent Golf Goes Under – GolfDigest reported that Nickent Golf has gone out of business. Always a favorite manufacturer of mine, I was especially sorry to hear they couldn’t keep crankin’ out the clubs. I’ll do my best to grab what I can of their final few runs and get ‘em to my Rock Heads at a good price.
• Tiger Picks Up His 6th-Lowest Professional Paycheck – Tiger Woods made some headlines earlier this year by becoming the first athlete to earn $1 billion, his payday at the Australian Masters last week wasn’t much to write home about. Tiger’s oversized check was made out for “only” about $250,000, which is the sixth-lowest amount he’s won at a single tourney. Better luck next time, Tiger!
• Rory McIlroy Reversing The Trend – It’s not all doom and gloom on the golf course, though. If rising star Rory McIlroy can collect the winner’s share of that $7.5M in Dubai this week, the 20-year-old will become the youngest player to top the money list since Seve Ballesteros back in 1976.

-Scratch

Michelle Wie “finally” won her first LPGA Tour event last weekend, shooting a 3-under 69 in the final round of the Lorena Ochoa Invitational in Mexico. After a stellar amateur career that saw her qualify for a USGA event as a 10-year-old, it took the now-20-year-old more than five years to notch her first victory on tour.

“It’s a huge monkey off my back. A huge gorilla, really. I didn’t think I would cry but I did. It was everything I expected and more. I’m really proud of myself for not giving up and pushing through. It has been so long overdue,” said Wie.

But that’s not to say it’s been a quiet couple of years for Wie. Since turning pro a week before her 16th birthday, she’s battled the high expectations her early success brought, signed endorsement deals worth millions, and famously competed in several PGA Tour events against an all-male field. But with this win over established contender Paula Creamer, Wie and her fans may finally be able to focus on her performance and less on the distractions and hiccups she’s encountered so far.

Other golf fans remain skeptical and are quick to point out that one win, while certainly a milestone worth celebrating, does not guarantee that the worst is behind her. This Caveman is quick to recall Anna Kornikova, another famous female athlete who sizzled on red carpets and magazine covers while cashing big endorsement checks but failed to play her sport at a championship level.

My take? There are a lot of 20-year-old golfers who haven’t won so much as a Nassau on a golf course yet, let alone a professional event. If she stays healthy, keeps working and doesn’t get distracted, Michelle Wie can still become an elite-level golfer – but it’s going to be up to her to put in the work. Here’s hoping her next tour victory doesn’t take another 60+ tries!

-Scratch

PS: Lookin’ for more about Michelle Wie? Get just the facts at Wikipedia or check out some of her glamour shots, then leave a comment here or on Twitter!

When golfers hear “Korea,” they often already know that South Korea has become a hotspot for golf. The country has an ever-growing list of pro golfers who were born there as well as an impressive roster of high-caliber courses. And while many of those courses may have a tricky hole or two, there’s one par 3 in particular that’s worthy of attention.

That’s because this 192-yard hole is surrounded on 3 sides by barbed wire and *gulp* land mines. It’s not every day you play a hole that has a “DANGER!! DO NOT RETRIEVE BALLS FROM THE ROUGH LIVE MINE FIELDS!” on the tee box. And they’re not kiddin’, either. There have been reports of a badly sliced ball causing an explosion.

As you may have guessed, the hole is actually on the border between North and South Korea, with soldiers from both sides actively patrolling the area. When you factor in the land mines, barbed wire, live ammunition & troops plus a putting surface made of Astroturf, this Caveman’s gotta figure that even the top Tour pros would have trouble concentrating on their putt!

-Scratch

PS: Check out these pictures!

Not too long ago, American lawmakers took action to prevent tobacco companies from advertising in certain formats (remember the Winston Cup?), and now a movement is under way Down Under and Across The Pond to do the same with the alcohol industry. Needless to say the issue has attracted some serious attention and stirred up a firestorm of debate from both sides. Should beer, wine & liquor ads be banned from sporting events?

On one hand, you’ve got the producers, distributors, and, yes, drinkers of the booze who point to studies showing no relationship between advertising and alcohol abuse. One large player in this bunch is The Portman Group, a public relations firm that represents numerous beverage companies such as Inbev, who recently acquired Anheuser-Bush and sells their suds in 30 countries worldwide, and Carlsberg, a Dutch brewing company. Portman’s estimates are that the drink industry spends between $250 million to $330 million annually on sponsorships and advertising in the UK alone. In the US… well, just think about that football game you watched on Sunday and how many beer commercials you saw…’nuff said.

On the other hand, medical experts, public safety officials and teetotalers in general have their own studies that show the opposite: the more pro-alcohol messages someone sees, the more likely they are to drink the stuff, and too many ads can contribute to creating a full-on drinking problem. (It’s obviously not as cut-and-dry as that, but you get the drift.) And with just about every sport and their stars being marketed to younger crowds, a major concern is the effect of these ads on teenagers and even younger children.

You don’t have to go any further than golfer John Daly to see what abuse of alcohol (among other vices) can do to a career. Daly has lost endorsements, teachers, fans, and untold prize money with his alcohol-soaked antics.

But would a ban on sponsorships and advertising really help keep kids from drinking? And how would leagues, teams and players make up for the missing revenue that beer ads are currently providing? That other major sports sponsor, car companies, has also pulled back on the ads and you can ask the folks at the Buick Open how that turned out!

What’cha think Rock Heads? Weigh in with your thoughts in the comments below, or shoot me a note on Twitter, FaceBook or MySpace to continue the debate!

~Scratch

PS: This Caveman is a long-time fan of John Daly and glad to see he seems to be on the right track these days! I’m happy to have his signature Grip It & Rip It golf gloves here in The Cave, and wish him the best of luck with his latest venture: recording an album of country tunes!

Golf Trivia: Why do golf courses have 18 holes, and not 20, 10 or an even dozen? Click here to see the answer!

Tiger Woods blames his less-than-stellar performance at the HSBC Champions tourney in Shanghai last weekend on the fans and their inconsiderate cell phone and camera usage, leading to a strict ban on the items at this week’s Australian Masters. Tournament director Marcus Gale said, “We’re certainly not China. We’ll have an educated crowd as far as golf goes for the main part,” and some reports indicate that electronic signal dampeners will be used to render any smuggled electronics useless.

The Australian Masters marks Tiger’s first return to Oz in 11 years, and Aussie fans are in a frenzy to see him now while they can. All 25,000 tickets were sold out soon after going on sale, and quite a bit of golf media attention is focusing on Melbourne this week. But certainly more than a few eyes will be noting how Tiger behaves against what’s sure to be another super-sized crowd following him around all week. As my Rock Heads know, Tiger’s temper can be a divisive issue!

-Scratch

PS: I don’t think anyone can blame Tiger for getting frustrated by camera clicks and flashes during a tee shot. Do you agree with me that the organizers of the HSBC Champions tourney were ultimately at fault here?

Ever since Rodney Dangerfield cranked up some Journey and poured himself a draft from his golf bag in Caddyshack, golfers have dreamed of adding custom gadgets to their own bags. And while a club ejection system may not be in the works just yet, PGA’r Michael Allen has taken an important first step by installing a flat-screen TV display in his golf bag.

Partnered with an upstart advertising dot-com, Allen’s bag now can rotate through several sponsor’s ads as he makes his way around a golf course – kind of like those banners behind home plate when a baseball game is on TV, but on his caddy’s back.

From what I can tell, it’s not a very big or bright picture, so I really don’t know how effective it’s going to be. It’s certainly raised Allen’s profile, but I can’t see too many other golfers opting for this installation in their own bag. What’s your take? Think we’ll see more video-enhanced golf bags on the fairways anytime soon?

~Scratch the Golfin’ Caveman

PS: What would YOU add to your golf bag if you had unlimited time, talent and budget? I’m split between a barbecue and a massage chair!

Doug Barron, a 40-year-old veteran of the PGA Tour, has been suspended for a year for failing a drug test. Barron may not be well-known for his playing, but he’ll live forever as trivia now that he’s the first golfer ever to violate the PGA Tour’s drug policy. (The policy started in 2008; you can read more about the procedures they put in place here.)

So far not too much more is known about the situation. The Tour won’t disclose when Barron failed the test or what he tested positive for. Barron issued the usual athlete apology, and his claim that, “I did not intend to gain an unfair competitive advantage or enhance my performance while on tour,” sounds like a page out of a baseball player’s script.

With so little information, we’ll just have to wait to hear more details before we can really form an opinion, but this should at least silence the critics & conspiracy theorists regarding the PGA’s drug policy.

~Scratch the Caveman

PS: Be sure to check this blog and my Twitter, Facebook, and Myspace for the latest news about Doug Barron and his suspension!

If you’re followin’ me on Twitter, Facebook or Myspace then you may have already seen this incredible slow-motion video of Tiger Woods’ perfect golf swing. But it’s definitely worth watching more than once:

Seriously, can you spot any flaws? His head doesn’t move an inch. Left arm stays straight the entire time. Smooth swing with an even, steady tempo. Full extension and follow-through. It just doesn’t get any better that that!

Of course, Tiger has the benefit of being in great shape, too. He’s obviously spent a great deal of time working out and that gives him that much more control over his body. Ever wonder what his fitness regimen looks like?

Tiger Woods Workout:

• Cardiovascular warm-up exercise – about 30 minutes’ worth of treadmill, stair stepper or bike exercises.
• Total body stretching – gotta get loose all over, but especially in the lower body and core. I would assume he’s still being pretty careful with that surgically-repaired knee.
• Core exercises – golfers know how important the trunk is, so Tiger works on posture and balance by building his stomach and back muscles. One way Woods does this is to sit on a balance ball and perform curls with free weights – a great way to develop those little stabilizer muscles to help him power through the twisting of a full swing. Old style resistance bands are also part of his routine..
• Running – Seven mile jogs for stamina with some sprints added in for good measure.
• Weight training – Tiger goes as high as 80% of his maximum weight doing exercises such as the bench press, the shoulder press and squats. Obviously he’s gotta be careful not to overload his shoulders since we all know how important they are to a golf swing. Tiger incorporates a variety of weight machines and free weights but always with an emphasis on a full range of motions. Unlike typical weightlifters, he’s after exercises that include movements or positions that are found in the golf swing.

Phew! Just readin’ that wore this Caveman out, but you can’t argue with the results that Tiger has gotten. He was pretty scrawny playin’ college golf at Stanford, and now he’s gotta have one of the best builds in all of golf. Any of my Rock Heads into buildin’ their bodies for golf?

-Scratch

Source: Tiger’s fitness regime was outlined here.

After writing my Ghosts Of The Golf Course blog yesterday I was too scared to get out to the range… maybe this Caveman’s not as tough as he looks! Well, they say you gotta face your fears to get passed ‘em, so here we go with round two, covering haunted golf courses from around the world!

• Old Course at St. Andrews – It only makes sense that one of the world’s oldest golf courses would be haunted, doesn’t it? Behind the 18th hole you’ll find Martyr’s Monument (click for picture), dedicated to five 16th-century Protestants who were burned at the stake on that spot. And for golfers that wouldn’t mind being haunted by a golf legend, at St. Andrews you’ll be near the area where Old Tom Morris fell to his death. While looking for a restroom at the New Club, he plunged down a flight of steps and succumbed to a fractured skull.
• Victoria Golf Course – British Columbia, Canada, is one of the few places on Earth where you can ski, swim and golf all in the same day. But if you manage to make it out for 18 holes at this seaside track, your foursome might just become a fivesome by the 7th fairway. That’s because the ghost of Doris Gravlin has been known to appear, either as a human figure wearing white and shrouded in a mist, or as unexplainable blinking lights since her husband murdered her in 1936.
• Church Stretton Golf Club – Keep a close eye on your golf ball when you play this 100-year-old course! Set in the picaresque South Shropshire Hills, England, golfers have seen their drives on #13 land in the fairway only to disappear without any human intervention. Ghost, gopher or groundskeeper – I’ll reserve my judgment until MY ball is the one taken, but you never know!
• Mt Lawley Golf Club – Who would think there would be evil spirits near the hole in “Satan’s Elbow?” Golfers playing this course in Perth, Western Australia, noticed glowing orbs and felt uneasy as they finished their round. After some investigating, the story came out: in the 1930s a man died right where they had noticed the strange lights. Michael Oakleigh’s death was officially ruled a suicide by poisoning, but several sources cited contradictory evidence and speculated it was a murder most foul. When you consider that the modern-day golfers had no knowledge of the tragedy, it adds a whole new layer to the mystery…

Alright Rock Heads, that’s all this cowardly Caveman can stand! Have a safe & happy Halloween, and leave your responses in the comments below!

~Scratch