PGA Tour: Barron violated doping policy

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla., Nov. 2 (UPI) -- Doug Barron became the first player to violate the PGA Tour's anti-doping policy and has been suspended for one year, the tour announced Monday.

"The suspension will commence immediately," a tour statement said.

It said Barron violated a ban "on the use of performance-enhancing substances" and the tour "will have no further comment on the suspension at this time."

Barron, 40, of Memphis, played in one event on the tour this season, the St. Jude Classic in June, and missed the cut. He played four times on the Nationwide Tour where he missed three cuts and was disqualified once.

"I would like to apologize for any negative perception of the tour or its players resulting from my suspension," Barron said in a statement issued by the PGA Tour.

"I want my fellow tour members and the fans to know that I did not intend to gain an unfair competitive advantage or enhance my performance while on tour."

The tour began testing in July 2008 under an anti-doping policy supported by golf organizations around the world.

Tests are done often. They are administered by the National Center for Drug Free Sport and analyzed by World Anti-Doping Agency laboratories.