I felt a dope at drugs test

Jul 6 2008 By Euan Mclean

PAUL LAWRIE made history by becoming one of the first golfers to be tested for drugs then revealed the experience was unnerving.

The former Open champion was one of six players picked at random to provide a urine sample when the European Tour launched its drug detection programme on Thursday.

Lawrie admitted that even though the strongest pill he has taken was two paracetemol the day before, he felt unsettled by a fear the test would detect something.

Ironically, Lawrie played golf with ski star Alain Baxter - who was stripped of his Olympic bronze after using a nasal spray without realising it contained a small trace of a banned substance - during a charity event on Loch Lomond last Monday.

Lawrie admitted Baxter's hard-luck story worried him and said: "The test took about 15 minutes and I found it a little weird. The guy asked if I'd taken anything recently and when I said paracetemol for a headache he said, 'Oh, you should be alright'.

"He was joking but I was in there thinking, 'Christ, you just don't know'. Alain Baxter was done in like that and it's amazing I was golfing with him three days before the test."

Lawrie was disappointed with yesterday's 79 at the London Club that saw him slip from three under to four over but the Aberdonian still believes he can lead the charge for a home winner at this week's Barclays Scottish Open.

He said: "It's about time another Scot won it. This is the most important two weeks of the year for me. I enjoy The Open most and the second biggest is the Scottish Open - but I'm not greedy I'd take just winning one of them."