I raised my hat to the International Tennis Federation when they banned Maria Sharapova for two years following a failed drug test. The governing body of that sport displayed considerable courage in their decision as the player in question was their star performer and probably the most bankable name in the world of ladies tennis.
Compare that with the stance taken by Tim Finchem, the Commissioner of the PGA Tour, when he insists that all disciplinary matters are internal to the membership and, during his 22-year tenure to date, nobody is any the wiser about any sanctions taken, if indeed any have been taken. Finchem appears paranoid about any publicity which would tarnish golf’s reputation as a sport of integrity despite the fact that anybody with an interest in the game knows full well that the reality is somewhat different.
Bearing in mind his admission to the use of recreational drugs, was the six-month leave of absence taken some time ago for “personal reason” by Dustin Johnson his own decision or taken at the request of the Tour following a drug test? Has any player been fined for flowery language picked up by the ever present microphones which are part and parcel of live television? And what about McIlroy flinging his club into a lake at Doral? Nobody knows and unless Finchem has a change of heart nobody will ever know. However all that is small potatoes when compared with the recent news that Phil Mickelson, the American poster boy of clean living, fell foul of Federal laws when he found himself linked to an insider trading scheme being investigated by the US authorities.
Well known as an inveterate and substantial gambler it was alleged that Mickelson took advice from Billy Walters, a sports gambler, to buy and sell shares in a company called Dean Foods. Phil’s profit from the investment (apparently in the order of $1 million) was then used to repay a gambling debt he had incurred with the same Billy Walters. All that is a matter of record and is neatly summed up by Andrew Ceresney, the head of enforcement at the Securities and Exchange Commission, when he said,”
Simply put, Michelson made money that wasn’t his to make”. Despite such a breach of the law, not to mention the internal rules for members, the Tour remained totally silent and refused to make any comment on whether action had been taken against the player. In matters so grave the arrogance of the Tour is far from healthy and makes a mockery of its own code of behaviour which states that, “A player may not associate with or have dealings with persons whose activities, including gambling, might reflect adversely upon the integrity of the game of golf”. No criminal charges were brought against Mickelson and the PGA Tour has resisted considerable pressure to suspend the player who claims that the matter is now closed. During a media interview at the US Open Phil was quizzed by members of the media who suggested that insider trading was surely at odds with his whiter than white image to which he replied, “I have got to be more careful in my associations going forward. I don’t really have much more to add. I think after a multiple year investigation which led to nothing, no charges or anything that kind of says enough for me”. When a reporter pursued the matter by asking if the PGA Tour had been in contact regarding the sorry saga Phil replied, “Actually I am not going to comment on that. Good question though but I am not going to go there”.
And that would appear to be that, leaving all under the impression that the PGA Tour is quite happy to draw a blanket over all indiscretions by its members. They aim to keep the public in the dark while they continue to market their product, not to mention their star performers, as being “whiter than white”.
The fact that it is not true does not seem to worry them.