A Little Behind, Don'tcha Think?

Ed Sherman reports in the Chicago Tribune that the PGA Tour is finally looking into developing a drug testing plan. This development is quite a reversal from the initial stance that Tour commish Tim Finchem made on the subject when it was first brought to the forefront last season. Then, Finchem was vehement that drug testing in the sport was not necessary, that it would infringe on player privacy, and thought potential drug enhancement was a non-issue.

On Wednesday, though, Finchem changed his tune. He said, "It's unfortunate that these realities are with us, but they are and we have to deal with them. I think it's important that golf deal with them collectively." He also went on to call for a standard of drug testing across the professional tours of the game.

This decision comes on the heels of being last among the major professional golf organizations to move toward drug testing. The LPGA was the first to the policy. The European Tour has since announced plans to implement testing.

It makes me wonder what realities Finchem is referring to in his comments, made at the Travelers Championship. Is the reality that the rest of the golf world has recognized that drug testing is needed in golf? Is the PGA Tour feeling some heat from the European Tour and its stated goal of trying to compete more actively with the PGA Tour? Is it that Tiger Woods and other players are now wearing form-fitting shirts out on the course that raise some questions other than those about vanity and poor fashion choices? Who knows. At least Finchem has come to his senses on this matter.

Unfortunately, this is just another in a string of decisions by the Tour that are either botched the first time or are made too late. The PGA Tour is supposed to be the top professional golf organization in the world and at the forefront of the game. Yet it has continued to lag behind the sporting climate and even within its own sport in terms of innovation and growth. One can only hope that the minds in Ponte Vedra will continue working hard to better the Tour - and this decision is a good start.