THE OPEN: Honest Rory’s blunt drug claim

BY BRENDAN JAMES at ROYAL TROON

RORY McIlroy has taken a big stick to golf and the game's officialdom by claiming its drug testing program is so bad he could take human growth hormone and “get away with it.”

He then rubbed salt into the wounds by admitting he would only be watching the sports that matter at the Olympics and that doesn’t include golf.

Golf’s return to the Olympic Games family after 112 years has been soured by the withdrawal of nearly two dozen of the game’s best male players, including McIlroy, with most citing concerns over the Zika virus.

Rory McIlroy says he could take human growth hormone and get away with it because professional golfers are not blood tested. PHOTO: Andrew Redington/Getty Images.

There are now serious questions, after nearly two decades of lobbying the International Olympic Committee for inclusion in the games, about golf being played beyond Tokyo in 2020.

On the eve of the 145th Open Championship getting underway at Royal Troon, McIlroy further dented the game’s chances of remaining in the Olympics by questioning whether golf’s drug-testing program was at a standard that mirrored its status as an Olympic sport.

“I could use HGH (human growth hormone) and get away with it,” the World No.4 said.

“Blood testing is something that needs to happen in golf just to make sure that it is a clean sport going forward. I think if golf is in the Olympics and golf wants to be seen as a mainstream sport as such, it has to get in line with the other sports that test more rigorously.”

McIlroy said the International Golf Federation tested him for the Olympics once this year, which was during the second round of US Open last month.

“But it was only a urine test. I haven't been blood-tested yet. It was only a urine test,” said McIlroy.

“On average I probably get tested four to five times a year (by the PGA Tour), which is very little compared to the rest of the Olympic sports. Obviously I've gotten to know a lot of athletes over the years, and whether it be coming to their houses and doing blood and urine, I think drug testing in golf is still quite far behind some of the other sports.

“But, again, I don't really know of any drug that can give you an advantage all the way across the board. There are obviously drugs that can make you stronger. There are drugs that can help your concentration. But whether there's something out there where it can make you an overall better player, I'm not sure.

“Physically, obviously, you can get stronger, recover faster. So, I mean, for example, HGH is only … you can't really pick it up in a urine test.”

McIlroy called on the game’s overseers to be more vigilant with drug testing, and include blood testing.

“I'm all for it,” he said. “So whether that happens or not, I'm sure it will.

“If golf wants to stay in the Olympics and wants to be part of the Olympic movement, it has to get in line with the rest of the sports.”

McIlroy practices on the 18th hole at Royal Troon in preparation for The Open Championship which starts on Thursday. PHOTO: Andrew Redington/Getty Images.

And as for the Olympics, the Northern Irishman is not really interested in how the golf competition pans out in Rio. Having withdrawn from Olympic selection a few days after the US Open citing concerns over the Zika virus, he said he has no regrets, which was in stark contrast to World No.3 Jordan Spieth, who yesterday confessed his 11th hour decision to pull out was the “hardest decision I’ve had to make in my life.”

“Honestly, I don't think it was as difficult a decision for me as it was for him,” McIlroy said. “I don't feel like I've let the game down at all.

“I didn't get into golf to try and grow the game. I got into golf to win championships and win major championships, and all of a sudden you get to this point and there is a responsibility on you to grow the game, and I get that. But at the same time that's not the reason that I got into golf. I got into golf to win. I didn't get into golf to get other people into the game.

“But, I get where different people come from and different people have different opinions. But I'm very happy with the decision that I've made and I have no regrets about it. I'll probably watch the Olympics, but I'm not sure golf will be one of the events I watch.

“I’ll probably (watch) the events like track and field, swimming, diving, the stuff that matters.”