Golf stars urged to stay in Olympic Village during Rio Games

The Wada director general, David Howman, has previously criticised the lack of transparency in the PGA Tour’s anti-doping policy, stating that the European Tour has more stringent testing.

The Rio Games will feature individual competitions for men and women, with both events seeing 60 players contest a traditional 72-hole stroke play tournament.

At a press conference at a St Andrews yesterday, Thomas Bach, the president of the International Olympic Committee, confirmed that all players would have to conform to the Wada rules, which includes random out-of-competition testing and the release of test results, and that the PGA Tour’s policies are a long way short.

Bach reiterated that all players in a testing pool determined by the Olympic Golf Rankings will be required to provide their whereabouts on an hourly basis from 5am to 11pm for the 13 weeks leading up to the Olympics, with the top five finishers in Rio subject to further tests.

An IGF statement read: “Olympic golf will operate under the worldwide Golf Federation’s anti-doping policy, which is Wada compliant”.

“I asked him about Rio and talked to him that I would like to welcome you next year to Rio and then he already said, I would love to play, and I will do everything to qualify, but I’m not sure whether it will work”.

The opening ceremony of the 2020 Olympics is only nine months after the rugby final, but IOC President Thomas Bach said Saturday he has no doubt the redesigned stadium will be finished in time for the Tokyo Games.

“For the International Olympic Committee, it’s about the best athletes, and we are happy to welcome them, whoever qualifies”.

Peter Dawson, chief executive of one of golf’s custodians, the Royal and Ancient, said this week that the sport was moving towards wider compliance of the WADA code. “The Olympic spirit is beating people, not living with them”.

“The Olympic Games are about the best athletes of the world coming together, and there we do not need any additional, spectacular or great action”, Bach said.

Bach meanwhile welcomed the fact that a decision had been taken in Japan to scrap the original stadium design for the 2020 Olympics amid concerns over rising costs.

“Let them make the experience and then ask the gold medallist after he has been standing on the podium listening to the anthem and being celebrated by the world, then he will give you the answer”.