Tiger Woods’ agent has denied that his client has been suspended for a month for failing a drug test and the source that prompted the denial has now issued a full retraction of the claim.
Tiger Woods’ agent, PGA Tour deny claim of a suspension for failed drug test
An unknown former golf pro cited unnamed sources in claiming that Tiger Woods was banned from the PGA Tour for failing a drug test -- allegations Woods’ agent and the tour vociferously deny.
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No-name former PGA Tour player Dan Olsen went on a Michigan sports radio talk show on Friday with a hearsay claim that Woods, who’s on an indefinite hiatus from the PGA Tour, was out of competition for running afoul of the tour’s drug program.
Olsen, whose last tour start was at the 2011 PGA Championship, told 730AM The Game that, “I heard [from a tour-exempt player] he’s on a month’s suspension ... it’s kind of a strong witness. It’s a credible person who is telling me this.”
Olsen said it was “not testosterone” Woods was banned for, but “something else.” He also said Tiger’s infamy would eventually surpass that of disgraced cyclist Lance Armstrong.
“They’re not even going to remember the women,” Olsen said in reference to Woods’ 2009 sex scandal, which resulted in a divorce and many observers blame as the start of his on-course woes. You can listen to the full interview, which also included allegations that Woods used an untested and illegal Nike golf ball to gain an advantage earlier in his career, here.
Olsen’s claims sounded preposterous and unworthy of any type of response from Woods’ camp. But Tiger’s agent, Mark Steinberg, and PGA Tour executive vice president Ty Votaw responded to the charges with strong denials.
“These claims are absolutely, unequivocally and completely false,” Steinberg said in a statement. “They are unsourced, unverified and completely ridiculous. The PGA Tour has confirmed that there is no truth to these claims.”
Votaw broke ranks with normal Tour policy, which rarely discusses disciplinary issues, by telling ESPN.com, “There is no truth whatsoever to these claims. We categorically deny these allegations.”
The Tour, according to ESPN, is required to announce PED-related suspensions, any of which would likely be for more than 30 days. There is no such requirement, however, if a player fails a test for recreational drugs.
Shortly after the denials from both Woods’ representative and the PGA Tour, Olsen issued a full retraction of everything he said in the interview.
“I retract the entire interview,” Olsen said in a statement to WVFN. “My comments were ill-advised. I want to apologize to Nike, the PGA Tour, Phil Mickelson, Tiger Woods and Tim Finchem.”
Olsen also made some outlandish claims about Woods faking his back injury, which Tiger cited as the reason for his withdrawal from the Farmers Insurance Open, and using unsanctioned golf balls. The latter comment would appear to relate to Golf Channel analyst Frank Nobilo’s comments about how Woods gained a competitive advantage in 2000 by using Nike’s first solid-core ball.
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