AP News
(2009-11-13 15:41:13)
CHICAGO (Reuters) - Golfer Doug Barron has filed a lawsuit against the PGA Tour after they suspended him over a doping offence.
Barron asked a court in Tennessee to lift his 12-month ban, saying the suspension was unfair and he had been defamed.
The 40-year-old journeyman achieved unwanted fame earlier this month when he became the first golfer banned for using performance-enhancing drugs.
The PGA did not name the drug but Barron revealed he had been using beta-blockers, prescribed for him by a doctor to treat a heart problem.
Barron also said he had been prescribed testosterone because he had an abnormally low level of the hormone, comparable to that of an 80-year-old man.
Barron said he could not be banned based on his disability, arguing that the PGA Tour's anti-doping program was unfair because it included common medications.
Barron cited the 2001 case of golfer Casey Martin, who went to the U.S. Supreme Court to win the right to use a golf cart on the tour due to a disability.
Barron's case was presented to a local court in Memphis but was then transferred to a federal court.
The PGA Tour, in its reply to Barron's suit, said its anti-doping policy followed standard protocols that do not allow for exemptions for players with low testosterone levels.
Barron, who turned professional in 1992, has played eight full seasons on the PGA Tour, most recently in 2006. His best finish was a tie for third at the 2005 Byron Nelson Championship.
Since then, he has competed mainly on the satellite Nationwide Tour where he has twice finished second but is yet to win a title.
(Reporting by Andrew Stern; Editing by Julian Linden)
