Aug 1 Italian fails dope test
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A pro golfer has failed a drugs test – just weeks after legend Gary Player said that drugs were being using in the sport.
Italian player Alessandro Pissilli failed a random test, according to the Italian Olympic Committee.
Pissilli, who plays on the Italian pro tour, tested positive for finasteride during the Omnium National Championship near Turin on June 29 after a test was requested by the Italian Golf Federation.
Finasteride, most commonly used in treating hair loss, is not performance-enhancing but is on the banned list because it can be used as a masking agent.
South African Player shocked the Open last month when he said unnamed tour golfers were taking performance-enhancing drugs and escaping sanction because the sport does not have dope testing.
The European Tour and the other major international circuits are formulating an anti-doping policy which is planned to come into effect next year.
The Italian Olympic Committee, which acts as the country’s anti-doping body, has been on a crusade to clean up sport with athletes from volleyballers to cyclists being brought in for doping hearings.
