News

Gary Player Says Steroids Used On Tour

Gary Player stated Wednesday that there are certainly golfers on the pro circuits using performance enhancing drugs. He can’t say who as he is sworn to secrecy but they do exist. A very confusing time for Mr. Player to bring this subject forward, as no testing is being done at The Open. And what’s the motivation for this outburst? Hmmmm..we shall it seems need to wait and see.

Published

19 years ago

Jul 19, 2007

Eric Schuster

Gary Player laid a broadside across the stern of the PGA Tour Wednesday at The Open Championship, stating that one player told him of drug use while on tour. "I took an oath prior to him telling me — I won’t tell you where — but he told me what he did, and I could see this massive change in him," Player said. "And somebody else told me something, that I also promised I wouldn’t tell, that verified others had done it."

I find it interesting that Player won’t reveal who this individual with the "massive change" is, and I’m rumaging my memory (an unreliable storage facility at best, at worst well, I’m afraid to go there) and can’t think of any physique owned by a world class golfer that has undergone a Pudge Rodriguez or Jason Giambi type change from normal sized into Raging Roid Man. Not a one, nada, zilch.

Does that mean that Mr. Player has sucked one too many protein shakes and his brain has shriveled to the size of a steroidized testicle? No, no I don’t think that’s the case at all because if it were then he wouldn’t be capable of drawing breath without assistance. I believe somewhere in the golf world there is indeed someone using real performance enhancing drugs, the odds are better than the 67% pay out on Indian Casino slot machines. But what in the world is Mr. Player trying to prove with this outburst? Why would he say this at this particular time and place? Retief Goosen, after posting a 70 which left him among the early leaders, confessed that he was "very shocked" by the old champion’s comments. "I don’t know what Gary was trying to prove, saying what he said," Goosen said. "I don’t know if he is trying to damage golf."

Perhaps this is the kick in the behind Tim Finchem needs to get some kind of testing thing done for the PGA, but if that’s the motivation why do it before a non PGA event? Surely Mr. Player has traveled enough miles to recognize the difference between Scotland and Scottsdale. Is it to get the European Tour to do testing? They are already beginning that at the start of next year. Besides they already test at the French Open and no one’s been outed. The Royal & Ancient Golf Club’s Peter Dawson was asked if he was concerned that The Open winner might be using steroids. "I don’t know if Gary Player is right about golfers being on drugs, frankly, so I really can’t comment," Dawson said. "One thing I do know is that we’re not drug testing here at the Open championship this week, so just how that would be identified, I’m not sure." A nice way of tap dancing around the issue.

This whole thing reminds me of the elephant in the living room about which nobody talked in hopes that it would go away. Sorry boys, this is the 21st century and performance enhancing drugs are everywhere. Heck, if you suffer from allergies on the LPGA and take a Claritin D tablet you’ve violated the drug policy and are gone from the next 25 tournaments. Now that’s what I call a punishment. Appropriate, not on your life, but you know it’s unfair if you can see your ball clearly instead of trying to scratch your itchy watery eyes out of your head while players without allergies can see fine. Truly pseudoephedrine is a performance enhancing drug. Sorry , sidetracked, this is another issue entirely, well not entirely but it is a different issue.

Back to Mr. Player, I do not propose to understand his motive nor his timing. Nor do am I certain he’s not completely addled, but I, possessing an enquiring mind, want to know more of what he knows. Hopefully he’ll tell us shortly. Until then let’s wait and see where the story goes and what comes to light as a result.

News

GolfWRX’s Father’s Day Gift Guide (2026)

Published

2 days ago

Jun 9, 2026

GolfWRX Staff

A reminder from your friends at GolfWRX: Father’s Day is June 21. And as we do every year, we’re rounding up the best gifts for dad.

As we say every year, there’s no better golf-related Father’s Day gift than a round of golf with pops. Be it a country club or your favorite muni, take the time to get together to play 18 if you can.

Let’s get to the gifts.

Ghost Golf Qualifier Diamond Polo

We like the new polos that Ghost is offering, as the fabric and fit are so good. These new Qualifier Collection polos breathe well, are lightweight, stretch with your swing, and of course look great. You can wear them on the course, in the office, or just out at a casual event and they will fit right in.

Buy here.

STR8-Strip Grip Tape Remover

If your dad is an equipment aficionado and tinkers with his clubs, this tool works wonders. Removing grip tape has never been easier, just put a little head on the tape and the STR8-Strip peals it right off the shaft without any damage.

Buy here.

Why Golf: Putting Thing

When it comes to practice, it is good to have a purpose. This “Putting Thing” sure does it. We know from personal experience how challenging it can be and how rewarding it is on the practice green. This also provides some competition for your kiddo to see who will unload the dishwasher or do the next chore around the house.

Buy here.

OluKai Lae‘ahi Men’s Breathable Slip-On Shoes

Riding to and from the course in style and comfort is always a good thing. If you’re in a hurry, it’s a nice feature to slide into your shoes and get to the tee time. For the post-game shoe, at your locker or while putting your clubs away in the car. Nice to slide into a shoe that looks good anywhere. Pair that with meeting the family for dinner, no need to change!

Buy here.

Therabody Theragun Relief

A little wellness goes a long way. Keeping loose is a good way to go when it comes to the weekend game or treatment during the week. If there is a little ache or pain, the Theragun is there to help out. Help loosen up the back for a pre-game warm-up or cool-down.

Buy here.

World Cup golf apparel

Something for the soccer dads. Embrace the World Cup fever this summer on the course with custom gear to support the nation of your choice.

Buy here.

FootJoy Pro SL spikeless golf shoes

Give the old man a break and save his feet with the Footjoy Pro SL Men’s Spikeless Golf Shoes for some added comfort on the course.

Buy here.

Bushnell Wingman 2 GPS speaker

Combine all the hits as well as some game improvement with the Wingman 2 Golf GPS Speaker by getting audible distance readings from 38,000+ courses worldwide through the Wingman 2 remote or speaker.

Buy here.

Personalized Titleist Pro V1 golf balls

The No. 1 ball in golf is a safe bet, and the Pro V1 fits the largest chunk of the bell curve if you don’t know what ball pops plays. Add personalization for a, well, personal touch!

Buy here.

GolfWRX may earn a commission for purchases made through links on this page, at no extra cost to you.

Tour Photo Galleries

Photos from the 2026 OccuNet Classic

Published

2 days ago

Jun 9, 2026

GolfWRX Staff

With the PGA Tour across the border in Canada this week, GolfWRX Tour Photographer Greg Moore stayed stateside and headed to the OccuNet Classic presented by Amarillo National Bank in Amarillo, Texas.

It’s always interesting to see what the guys are playing on the KFT, and this week certainly hasn’t disappointed so far, with some incredible wedge stamping on display.

Check out links to all our albums below.

General Albums

2026 OccuNet Classic (KFT) – Monday #1

WITB Albums

Pullout Albums

Luke Potter’s custom Cameron putter – 2026 OccuNet Classic (KFT)

News

From the GolfWRX Classifieds: Scotty Cameron GOLO 6 with BGT Stability Tour2 2022 M Edition

Published

2 days ago

Jun 9, 2026

Will Schube

At GolfWRX, we are a community of like-minded individuals who all experience and express our enjoyment of the game in many ways.

It’s that sense of community that drives day-to-day interactions in the forums on topics that range from best driver to what marker you use to mark your ball. It even allows us to share another thing we all love – buying and selling equipment.

Currently, in our GolfWRX buy/sell/trade (BST) forum, @HuskerFlyer is sharing a Scotty Cameron GOLO with a BGT Stability Tour2 2022 M Edition shaft. While the putter is certainly enviable, the Augusta-inspired shaft is equally noteworthy.

From the listing:

Scotty Cameron Golo 6 with BGT Stability Tour2 2022 M Edition Scotty Headcover 34″ $375

To check out the full listing in our BST forum, head through the link. If you are curious about the rules to participate in the BST Forum, you can learn more here: GolfWRX BST Rules.