PGA Tour should follow the lead of other sports

	Even though performance-enhancing drugs aren't a big issue in golf, Tim Finchem should be proactive with testing. AP

To Mr. Tim Finchem,

I write this after reading the alarming saga of Barry Bonds' Herculean transformation from lithe superstar to a bulging, steroid-addled humanoid. Granted, I wasn't surprised at the findings, as it was a bet-the-mortgage wager that Bonds couldn't possibly have made such significant physiological advances without having become a walking chemistry lab.

What worries me is that the PGA Tour refuses to acknowledge that a portion of its players could fall into the same awkward trap.

In today's sports world, where stellar performance is handsomely rewarded with fame and fortune, public scrutiny and skepticism has increased exponentially. Unfortunately, instead of cheering for their heroes, the masses now cast wary eyes for proof the achievement was legit. The mere presence of suspicion is damaging, whether it's justified or not.

As commissioner of a sport that prides itself on honesty and integrity, it's high time you take a proactive approach. Essentially, just say no by saying yes to testing.

In all likelihood, golf is probably bleach-clean. However, since drugs and cheating are the news du jour on the sports pages, why not prove that golf is still above reproach?

Today's extreme driving distances are consistently pockmarked with worries that modern equipment is ruining the game's integrity. Gearing back the ball or shrinking clubheads is another battle entirely.

Yet innuendo remains regarding players' chemical makeup, and honest talent and physical conditioning should not be besmirched by cynicism.

It pains me to read e-mails pondering the likelihood of chemical advancement when a Tour player carries a 320-yard bunker. While those opinions are probably soiled with ignorance, the utterances occur much too often to disregard. There are too many stories circulating in other sports to turn a deaf ear in golf.

As someone who loves golf, I find it troubling to have to defend the game on that level. Testing would help take the onus off the Tour's officials and participants.