Doug Barron, an American with only one PGA start in three years, was given a one-year doping ban Monday by the US PGA Tour - its first suspension for performance-enhancing substances.

The PGA, which instituted the anti-doping test program last July, imposed the penalty immediately without comment other than announcing the punishment.

Under PGA policy, the exact banned substance Barron was found to have taken was not revealed.

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

"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."

Barron, 40, did not seem to gain any edge based upon his 2009 results and the ban will not exactly strip the PGA of one of its top attractions either.

Barron fired rounds of 72 and 77 and miss the cut in June's St. Jude Classic at Memphis in his lone PGA appearance of the year. He also has three missed cuts and a disqualification on the Nationwide developmental tour.

The best career finish for Barron in a PGA event was third in the 2005 Byron Nelson Championship. He played 24 events that year and 28 in 2006.

AFP

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