Tiger Woods on Wednesday suggested golf’s culture of honour reduced the chances of a Lance Armstrong-style doping scandal, despite a comparatively light drugs testing regime.
Woods, speaking after Armstrong was stripped of his seven Tour de France wins in a case that has rocked cycling, said anti-doping officials test golfers’ urine while they do not take blood samples.

He indicated that a sport such as golf, where players admit their own penalties, had an intrinsic honesty which was not apparent elsewhere.

“We just implemented testing probably three years ago I think it is... I know we don’t do any blood work like some of the other sports do,” he said ahead of the CIMB Classic tournament in Malaysia.

“Right now it’s just urine samples, but that’s certainly a positive step in the right direction to try and validate our sport.”

Meanwhile, the war of words between the International Cycling Union and the United States Anti-Doping Agency has escalated.

Though the exposure was effectively sealed when the UCI ratified USADA’s sanctions against the cyclist, the two bodies have been quick to hurl accusations and critiques at one another.

Elsewhere, Michele Ferrari, the Italian doctor accused of playing a key role in the doping programme has played down his links to Armstrong in a new book.