RIO GRANDE, Puerto Rico – The word “union” makes Shaun Micheel’s jaw draw tight. He’s likely never even heard of Norma Rae. Donald Fehr, the boss of Major League Baseball’s shop, will never land an invite to the family Christmas party.
Not that Micheel is anti-union. Truth is Micheel is probably not anti-anything, save three-putts and missed cuts. It’s just that the 39-year-old father of two believes in common sense, honest living and being accountable for your actions.
It’s the common sense part that has drawn Micheel, however reluctantly, into a curious spotlight.
Late Wednesday, tucked away in a corner of the locker room at Trump International Country Club, Micheel’s mind raced from one Hallmark moment to the next.
In April 2005, less than two years after his signature victory at the ’03 PGA Championship, Micheel was diagnosed with low testosterone, an ailment that studies say afflicts millions of men.
Fast forward to last fall’s Turning Stone Resort Championship when the Tour announced its plan to implement a performance-enhancing drug policy. Although he would never consider himself a trailblazer, he knew immediately that his condition and the Tour were on a crash course.
“There is a negative impact whenever you talk about something like this in sports, and the Tour is all about a positive image,” Micheel said. “I understand that from a player conduct standpoint, but not from a health standpoint.”
Another, more recent snapshot quickly comes to mind. Two weeks ago while he was preparing to play the PODS Championship, Micheel was informed by the Tour he would be granted a therapeutic-use exemption, but only for 2008. The Tour also asked that Micheel go through a “wash-out” period of about six weeks during which he wouldn’t use Testim, a clear testosterone gel he rubs on his shoulder each day.
“(The Tour) saw my initial diagnoses and agreed that treatment is warranted, but let’s just say I do have anxiety about coming off my medication,” said Micheel, who is among the headliners at this week’s Puerto Rico Open. “I know how I felt then, and it wasn’t good.”
Micheel said the condition made him lethargic and he had little motivation to practice or play. The worst, he said, was how it impacted him when he was home.
“I was angry all the time,” he said. “I had to think what kind of father was I becoming?”
The problem is the numbers. It always is.
When Micheel was originally diagnosed, his testosterone levels were 279. A recent test recorded his testosterone levels at 537, which his doctor, Tour-approved endocrinologist Dr. Adrian Dobs, said was perfect.
According to Dobs, normal testosterone levels range from 300 to 800. The Tour, however, has set a normal level at 250.
“If people are sick, they deserve to get the medications they need,” said Richard Young, the Colorado-based lawyer who helped create the Tour’s anti-doping program. “You don’t get in the door unless you need something. But if a doctor says this is good for you, you don’t necessarily get a (therapeutic-use exemption).”
The first drug testing isn’t scheduled until early July. But make no mistake, the policy’s first exam is already under way.
There are enough rules in golf that don’t make sense. Do we have to drag this nonsense into the waiting room?
With apologies to his athletic prowess, Micheel falls well outside the boundaries of a typical juicer. Truth is, at 6 foot, 185 pounds he looks more like a PTA chairman than a PGA champion. The idea of Micheel standing on a steroid soapbox contrasts sharply with his personality, but sometimes our fights choose us.
“I’m a guinea pig. I don’t want to be. I don’t want to be adversarial with the Tour at all,” Micheel said. “There is no one fighting for me. I’m fighting for myself. I’m fighting for my livelihood.”
Finally, Micheel’s mind flashes back to last Wednesday and a short visit with the world’s No. 1 player as the Arnold Palmer Invitational pro-am was wrapping up.
“He told me if I needed any help to let him know,” Micheel said. “Tiger Woods doesn’t make policy and this isn’t about him, but that was very nice.”
Turns out Micheel is not alone.
Posted: 3/20/2008
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