Matt Every is the latest golfer to run afoul of the Tour’s drug policy and is currently one week into a three-month suspension. Every released a statement to Golf Channel saying he tested positive for cannabis, “a drug I do not abuse and a drug that I have a legal prescription for in the state of Florida.” Marijuana is on the Tour’s list of banned substances.
McIlroy added that he tends to play it safe when it comes to any potentially banned substance.
“I am the most conservative on everything,” he said. “I mean, yeah, I don’t – I try not to take anything in terms of pills to help in any way. Like, I’m even scared to take painkillers sometimes, like an Advil, I would rather just not.”
PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan was asked for his reaction, and seemed to side with McIlroy’s stance that players are better off staying risk-free.
“I think we’ve been very clear with our players that because CBD oil and CBD as a product is an unregulated product, it essentially is a supplement, with it comes risk. So we’ve been very clear with our players and tried to communicate that risk to our players,” he said. “But ultimately we don’t determine what is a banned substance and what’s not, we rely on WADA [World Anti-Doping Agency] for doing that. So we’ll continue to stay very close not only to that substance but any potential substance that would come on or come off the list.
“But I’m not surprised to hear our athletes, because you’ve heard it from athletes in other sports, say that that’s a risk that they’re just going to prevent entirely.”
McIlroy opened with a two-over 72 at the rain-delayed Zozo Championship, where play is set to resume on Saturday.
