R&A defends golf anti-doping policies after Rory McIlroy criticism

Rory McIlroy said he had been drug-tested only once this year

The R&A has defended golf's anti-doping measures following criticism from world number four Rory McIlroy.

McIlroy said on Tuesday he could "get away with" doping, but the governing body said eight tests were carried out at the 2015 Open Championship.

"Our anti-doping policy follows that of the European Tour," said R&A chief executive Martin Slumbers.

He added that talks about improving doping policies were "not a matter for public discussion".

Slumbers said: "For those players that are in the registered testing pool for the Olympics there is the IGF (International Golf Federation) additional testing that is being carried out during this week.

"Our belief is that we should be as a sport right at the highest level of standards around anti-doping and that's something that the tours and ourselves are privately talking about behind closed doors."

Englishman Justin Rose, the world number 11, said current anti-doping measures "feel comprehensive enough to me".

He added: "I believe golf has that great image of being a clean sport and that's obviously what the aim is of drug-testing - to keep sports clean.

"I don't see any way to improve it. I don't see any reason to improve it."

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