Vijay Singh hits out at PGA Tour

• Vijay Singh blasts the PGA Tour for singling him out
• Fijian was initially banned for using deer antler spray in 2013
• Ban was uplifted by WADA – but Singh lost endorsement deal

Vijay Singh has blasted the PGA Tour for singling him out over his admission of using deer antler spray – calling his treatment ‘absurd’ and ‘unfair’.

The Tour announced its intention to suspend the 53-year-old Fijian for 90 days in 2013 after he admitted to Sports Illustrated that he had used the spray, which contained the banned growth hormone IGF-1.

However, the ban was soon lifted when the World Anti-Doping Agency said the product didn’t contain enough of the hormone to be performance-enhancing – but that didn’t stop the three-time major winner losing his 16-year endorsement deal with Cleveland Golf.

The case is now at the New York State Supreme Court, having initially started at the County Supreme Court in May 2013, with Singh, in a memorandum, accusing Tour officials of subjecting him to ‘absurd’ and ‘unfair’ treatment by ignoring the use of deer antler spray by five other professional golfers playing on the PGA Tour and the Champions Tour.

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Speaking to Golf.com, Vijay Singh’s lawyer Peter Ginsberg said the Tour’s treatment of his client was the result of organisational failures.

“The PGA Tour’s bogus rationalisation for treating Vijay differently than it treated multiple other players, and then commissioner Finchem’s unwillingness to remain in his deposition and explain why the PGA Tour ignored WADA’s guidance about the spray and then misled the public, speak volumes about the golf organisation’s conduct and failure to fulfil its duties and obligations.

“Either the PGA Tour was woefully ignorant or woefully arrogant, but, either way, it was woefully irresponsible and Vijay suffered as a result.”

If the two sides fail to reach an agreement in dispute resolution the next stop will be a jury and, according to Golf Channel, that isn’t likely to occur until late 2016 or early 2017.

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Vijay Singh :: Right to go to court?

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