Dustin Johnson episode hurts golf

The Dustin Johnson episode has shone the light on the damage caused by the lack of transparency in golf. The game needs to man up to issues.

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Dustin Johnson episode hurts golf and golfer

 

A feature by Anand Datla

 

Golf is an elite sport steeped in etiquette and old world manners that can sometimes seem anachronistic with our times. Somehow it appears that the authorities that run the game are happier trying to save the veneer at the expense of the wood. Despite the best efforts of Rory McIlroy and Sergio Garcia at the WGC Bridgestone Invitational, it was difficult to keep fans from swaying into the murky waters surrounding the leave of absence by Dustin Johnson.

 

The American has claimed to have taken a voluntary leave of absence even as rumours gained ground about another failed test and a six month suspension. Irrespective of which story you may wish to buy, there is no side that has emerged untainted by this unnecessarily murky mess. Both golf and golfer have been tainted – and though Johnson could be rehabilitated on the tour next year, the game itself will be left dealing with some raw wounds that could refuse to heal for a while.

 

If there was a silver lining to this story, that was from knowing that DJ’s indiscretions relate to recreational drugs – marijuana (2009) and cocaine (2012, 2014) – besides an over eager expression of his libido with women married to his fellow players. As deviant as that may seem, at least none of that contributed to his ranking (16th) or those 8 PGA Tour victories. If anything, it is this frailty of character that explains his various meltdowns whilst in contention at majors.

 

The real problem is how the PGA Tour is choosing to deal with these issues. The testing and drug policies of an international sport such as golf needs to reflect the ethos of our times. Much of it hasn’t entirely been in a desirable state given the extent to which the malaise of drugs has corrupted sport in the past decade. Excuses such as the culture of integrity and adherence to rules by the golfing community just does not cut it in an age of complex steroids, EPO and HGH. The PGA Tour’s policies are clouded in a shade of dark grey that does the sport no favours.

 

The manner in which this story has developed offers some valuable lessons for golf, especially in the lead up to the Rio Olympics where the game will make its much awaited debut. Initially Johnson issued a statement through his management company to suggest he was “taking a leave of absence from professional golf, effective immediately. I will use this time to seek professional help for personal challenges I have faced,” he said.

 

Within 24 hours Golf.com cited unnamed sources in a report that revealed that Johnson might have taken this step on the brink of suspension, having failed a test for the third time in his career. As the report gained steam across several media joints, the Tour sprang to action offering a series of lame defence statements that have only deepened the harm. Assuring that the player wasn’t suspended and reasserting the fact that it is policy not to comment on player discipline is incredibly stupid for a game with global scale.

 

It is the people who travel to the courses and those lending their eyes to television that pay for the Tour in the first place, and they have a right to know that the sport is administered with transparency and responsibility.

 

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