WADA chief Pound says key players fear doping problem

CARNOUSTIE, Scotland, July 22 (Reuters) Key players and officials say a drugs-testing policy is urgently needed in golf, according to World Anti-Doping Agency chairman Dick Pound.

Nine-times major winner Gary Player told a British Open news conference earlier this week that the sport could have a big doping problem and called for the tours to speed up their plans for routine testing.

''I don't know how widespread it is, as there is no testing at the moment,'' Pound told the BBC today.

''But key players and officials are telling me we need a policy in place before we have a major public problem.'' Player, a three-times Open champion, estimated at least 10 players were using performance-enhancing drugs, quite possibly more.

Pound backed the 71-year-old South African, saying: ''That comes from one of the icons of golf, who has no particular axe to grind out there now, other than to try and maintain the integrity of the sport.

''So it's a wake-up call that has not come in such stark terms to date from the golf community.'' Pound said he had been contacted by key figures in the sport who were worried about possible drug abuse among players.

''Some are discreet, some say they know, some say they strongly suspect,'' he said.

''The point is golf is a game that has always prided itself on honesty and testing would be a way of demonstrating that what you say is true.'' Pound thought human growth hormone, beta blockers and the red blood cell booster EPO might be being used by some players.

''What testing will do is deter those who might consider using drugs and scare away those who may have already started, then the problem may disappear,'' Pound said.

Several leading players including Tiger Woods, world number two Phil Mickelson and European Ryder Cup captain Nick Faldo were asked during the week if they had ever known of golfers using drugs, and neither of them had.

Open organisers, the Royal and Ancient, said plans for a worldwide, co-ordinated drugs-testing system were at an advanced stage but would not say when it would be implemented.

REUTERS BJR KP1806