Tiger On Drug Testing: "Tomorrow would be fine with me."

Whoa Nellie! Tiger Woods says...

Tiger Woods said he would like to see testing on the PGA Tour for performance-enhancing drugs as soon as possible to make sure golf remains clean.

"I don't know when we could get that implemented," Woods said. "Tomorrow would be fine with me."

Woods did not say he thought anyone was using steroids, but said it could be a problem in the future.

"I think we should be proactive instead of reactive," he said. "I just think we should be ahead of it and keep our sport as pure as can be. This is a great sport, and it's always been clean."

Woods' comments came one day after PGA Tour commissioner Tim Finchem said he saw no need for drug testing in golf without evidence that any players are using steroids.

Woods compared the situation to the PGA Tour testing thin-faced drivers that exceeded regulations for the trampoline effect, known as the coefficient of restitution (COR). He suggested in 2003 that some players were using hot drivers. By the following year, tour officials had a tool that measured COR, although drivers were not tested unless another player asked.

"Just like the driver situation, we were reactive there instead of proactive," Woods said.

This is quite a shift for Woods, who was asked (by yours truly) about this subject last year at the Target World Challenge. 

Q. There was a story in Golf World last week about performance enhancing drugs and steroids in golf and the possibility of it. Do you think there is a possibility that players are using anything and should there be perhaps a Tour policy or testing on that, either steroids or any kind of enhancing drug?

TIGER WOODS: There's always a possibility. Unless you're tested, there's always going to be a shadow of doubt on any sport. I don't see anyone out there who I would think would have finds of it, but who's to say there aren't. We don't know. We don't see any guys out there, 6 5, 240, 250, in shape, cut up, all ripped up. We don't have guys out there like that.

Q. Are you in favor of testing or do you think that's something that should be treated with a little more study?

TIGER WOODS: I think we should study it a little bit more before we get into something like that. Obviously it's a path that where do you draw the line? Do you do it on the PGA Tour nationwide but don't do it on any other tours leading up to that, or all professional golf.

Obviously there is a lot to it than just, okay, there's mandatory testing. Where does it start? Who does it? Who is in control of it? What are the substances that you're looking for. In the Olympics you can't take aspirin. A lot of guys live on aspirin out here.