Harrington backs drug testing at Augusta

From Brian Keogh in Miami

Padraig Harrington believes the introduction of drug testing at this year's Masters is good for the future of the sport.

The Dubliner revealed that he was drug tested for the first time during last month's Buick Invitational at Torrey Pines. And he remains convinced that the move to battle the drugs cheats can only be good for golf's clean cut image.

"It is appropriate in modern sport," Harrington said at Doral this week. "There is no doubt that golf is the cleanest sport in the world and we have to make sure we keep it that way.

"I was drug tested for the first time at the Buick Invitational in February. It wasn't as unpleasant an experience as I thought it would be.

"I have got the results and it is all clean. If it hadn't been I would have wanted to know how it got there. But no person is happy until they know, so I was happy when the results came back."

Random drug testing was introduced by the PGA Tour and the European Tour on July 1 last year.

And Harrington is happy that golf is now in line with the other major sports in the battle against drugs cheats.

He said: "Golf is the only sport that referees itself and ever golfer is conditioned from a very young age not to break the rules.

"That is why I think it is unlikely that anyone will take drugs, which is a great thing because we have less and less problems. We have to make sure."