Drug testing to begin at this year's U.S. Amateurs

• By Golf Channel Digital
• Feb 13, 2013 8:09 AM ET

The U.S. Golf Association distributed an email to past participants of the U.S. Amateurs on Tuesday to explain that drug testing will begin at this year’s championships.

Here is the USGA email, in its entirety, which was first posted on GeoffShackelford.com: 

Thank you for your past participation in the U.S. Amateur/U.S. Women’s Amateur Championship.

As you may know, the USGA implemented drug-testing programs for the U.S. Open and U.S. Women’s Open in 2009. Beginning in 2013, drug testing will also take place during the U.S. Amateur and U.S. Women’s Amateur Championships.

Compliance with the drug-testing program for all participants in the championship proper is a condition of entry for the championship. We strongly encourage you to become familiar with the International Golf Federation’s Anti-Doping Policy, which can be found at www.internationalgolffederation.org. The IGF’s policy adopts the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) List of Prohibited Substances, which can be found on WADA’s website: www.wada-ama.org.

If you have obtained a Therapeutic Use Exemption (TUE) from another entity or your national anti-doping organization, a copy of the TUE must be forwarded to the USGA’s Medical Review Officer as soon as possible at thospel@yahoo.com. If you are planning to request a TUE, please fill in the Application Form found below and send it to the USGA’s Medical Review Officer. You may also contract Dr. Thomas Hospel at 614-537-3000 with any questions about medications, substances, methods, dietary supplements or vitamins. You may also send your confidential inquiry to Drug Free Sport by facsimile at 816-285-5068, or by calling the DFS Resource Exchange Center hotline at 877-285-1434.

General questions regarding the USGA’s Anti-Doping Policy can be directed to the USGA’s Anti-Doping Policy Administrator at 906-234-2300 x1178.

Thank you for your attention in this important matter. 

USGA Championship Anti-Doping Program Administrator