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Vijay Singh responds to deer antler spray allegations

Shane Bacon

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- The Super Bowl isn't the only stadium in the world that is dealing with some anti-doping allegations. TPC Scottsdale, host of this week's Waste Management Open and the stadium-style 16th hole, is dealing with the fallout from the recent Sports Illustrated report that linked Ray Lewis with deer antler spray, something that is banned by both the NFL and the PGA Tour.

Why does the PGA Tour care? Because Vijay Singh was also listed in the report as using the substance, which would be in violation of the PGA Tour's Anti-Doping Policy.

Singh's camp has been quiet thus far, but they finally released a statement on Wednesday.

"While I have used deer antler spray, at no time was I aware that it may contain a substance that is banned under the PGA Tour Anti-Doping Policy. In fact, when I first received the product, I reviewed the list of ingredients and did not see any prohibited substances. I am absolutely shocked that deer antler spray may contain a banned substance and am angry that I have put myself in this position. I have been in contact with the PGA Tour and am cooperating fully with their review of this matter. I will not be commenting further at this time."

David Epstein, one of the writers from SI that broke the Ray Lewis and Singh story, was on Golf Channel's Morning Drive on Wednesday morning and gave a solid 10 minutes of television explaining the entire Vijay conversation he had.

Epstein said that Singh told him he was applying this every couple of hours, and said he didn't think Singh knew it was banned which is surprising because the people from S.W.A.T.S., the place the deer antler spray came from, are very upfront that IGF-1 (the insulin-like growth factor) is banned by the majority of sports organizations.

The Golf Channel interview is below, but yep, Singh has spoken and admitted to using this banned substance. For now we await what the PGA Tour will do to Singh, which will easily be the biggest case of a banned substance in PGA Tour history.