Three well-known figures in the world of golf are convinced there is no doping in the sport.
                                
Henrik Stenson: Convinced golf is free of drugs 
 
 
On  the back of disgraced cyclist Lance Armstrong's admission that  he used  performance-enhancing drugs during all seven of his Tour de  France  victories, fans are now asking questions about whether or not it  is  happening in other sports. 
In  recent days the world of tennis has condemned the American and  also  dismissed suggestions there is doping in their sport and now  golfers  Thomas Bjorn, Henrik Stenson and Richard Green have done the  same. 
Stenson, who was ranked as high as number four in the world at  one  stage and won seven times on the European Tour and twice on the PGA,   told Reuters golf is clean. 
"I would find it very surprising if we encountered any enhancing drugs in golf," he said in Abu Dhabi. 
"I don't know what you could take to help you perform better in  golf.  Viagra maybe - to hit it long and straight," he said with a cheeky   grin. 
"I am happy I am in a sport where (doping) seems to be very, very rare." 
He added: "It's obviously sad in any sport when the great heroes  you  expect to be clean, aren't. Cycling's had a lot of problems with  this  issue but thankfully golf is in a different situation. 
"There have been certain sports we've known about for years where   people have been caught taking illegal stuff...he is just another one   in that category. 
"It makes it even sadder when it is one of the greats who gets  caught  cheating. There's not much I can do about it myself except stay  clean  and hope most people (in golf) think the same way." 
Chairman of the European Tour's Players Committee Bjorn says the  sport  can't afford to have any doping problems as they prepare for the  2016  Olympics. 
"In golf we do our drug-testing and it seems to be a very clean sport," the Dane told Reuters. 
"Being part of the Olympics again in 2016, there is going to be  more  focus and attention on it but we believe ours is a clean sport and  we  don't seem to have any big issues with stuff like that." 
Australian Green feels golfers are winning on the back of the hard work they put in. 
"Golf's not like cycling," he said. "I just don't think there is anything the guys can take to improve their performances. 
"It is just down to hard work, hard practice, good technique and  the  right equipment...and I think that's what the guys are doing out  here. 
"In my opinion it (Armstrong's case) was human nature's way of  crossing  the line. Everyone's trying to look for an easier way to do  just about  anything. 
"Whether it's digging a hole, rather than using a shovel people  use a  big digger instead. Cyclists have just found an easier way to do  it."
 
golf365.com