Matt Every Suspended By The PGA Tour For Marijuana Use
The American has been banned for 12 weeks after violating the Tour's drugs of abuse conduct policy
The American has been banned for 12 weeks after violating the Tour's drugs of abuse conduct policy
Matt Every Suspended By The PGA Tour For Marijuana Use
Matt Every has been suspended by the PGA Tour for 12 weeks after violating its conduct policy for drugs of abuse.
Every is out until 7th January 2020 and revealed that the drug in question was marijuana, which is legal in his home state of Florida.
“I have been prescribed cannabis for a mental health condition by my physician whom has managed my medical care for 30 years,” the two-time PGA Tour winner told the Golf Channel.
“It has been determined that I am neither an acceptable candidate to use prescription “Z” class drugs nor benzodiazepines.
“Additionally, these classes of drugs can be highly addictive and harmful to the human body and mind. For me, cannabis has proven to be, by far, the safest and most effective treatment."
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“I don’t agree with it for many reasons, mainly for my overall well-being, but I’m excited for what lies ahead in my life and career,” Every said of the ban.
“Over the last few years I have made massive strides and I know my best is still in front of me. I can’t wait to come back better than ever in January.”
Every was also suspended by the PGA Tour in 2010 after being arrested in Iowa for possession of marijuana.
He is the second player to fall foul of the PGA Tour's conduct policy for drugs of abuse this year after Robert Garrigus was also banned for marijuana.
Upon his return, Garrigus said that he wants the PGA Tour's stance on marijuana to change.
“I am currently in discussion with the whole drug policies and the whole situation with that, that maybe we can probably get marijuana off that list because it doesn’t help you get it in the hole," he said in July.
“If you are doing marijuana then we should be testing for alcohol, too. If you can buy it in a store, then why are we testing for it? That’s my opinion.”
Every is the seventh player to receive a suspension from the PGA Tour since it began drug testing in 2008, although the Tour has only begun publicly disclosing who had failed since the 2017-18 season.
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Elliott Heath is our News Editor and has been with Golf Monthly since early 2016 after graduating with a degree in Sports Journalism. He manages the Golf Monthly news team as well as our large Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages. He covered the 2022 Masters from Augusta National as well as five Open Championships on-site including the 150th at St Andrews. His first Open was in 2017 at Royal Birkdale, when he walked inside the ropes with Jordan Spieth during the Texan's memorable Claret Jug triumph. He has played 35 of our Top 100 golf courses, with his favourites being both Sunningdales, Woodhall Spa, Western Gailes, Old Head and Turnberry. He has been obsessed with the sport since the age of 8 and currently plays off of a six handicap. His golfing highlights are making albatross on the 9th hole on the Hotchkin Course at Woodhall Spa, shooting an under-par round, playing in the Aramco Team Series on the Ladies European Tour and making his one and only hole-in-one at the age of 15 - a long time ago now!
Elliott is currently playing:
Driver: Titleist TSR4
3 wood: Titleist TSi2
Hybrids: Titleist 816 H1
Irons: Mizuno MP5 5-PW
Wedges: Cleveland RTX ZipCore 50, 54, 58
Putter: Odyssey White Hot OG #5
Ball: Srixon Z Star XV
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