PGA Tour pro banned for three months after violating Anti-Doping Policy

PGA Tour pro Byeong Hun An has violated the PGA Tour Anti-Doping Policy and has been suspended for three months.

11 Oct 2023

PGA Tour pro banned for three months after violating Anti-Doping Policy

PGA Tour pro Byeong Hun An, also known as Ben An, has "violated the Tour's Anti-Doping Policy and has been suspended for three months," according to an official statement from the PGA Tour.

According to the Tour's statement, which you can read in full below, An, 32, "tested positive for a substance prohibited by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) contained in a cough medicine available over the counter in his native Korea."

The suspension came into effect from August 31, 2023, so An has already served close to half of the ban as the Tour continues its Fall Series in Las Vegas this week.

An has never won on the PGA Tour but he did win the DP World Tour's biggest event of the season at the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth in 2015.

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The PGA Tour statement reads as follows:

The PGA Tour announced today that Byeong Hun An has violated the PGA Tour Anti-Doping Policy and has been suspended for three months, with the suspension being retroactive to August 31, 2023.

An tested positive for a substance prohibited by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) contained in a cough medicine available over the counter in his native Korea. He has cooperated fully with the Tour throughout the process and accepted his suspension.

He will be eligible to return to competition on December 1, 2023.

The Tour will have no further comment on the suspension at this time.

Office of the Commissioner statement regarding Byeong Hun An pic.twitter.com/TVAxkPxg5k
— PGA TOUR Communications (@PGATOURComms) October 11, 2023

An has since issued a statement via his official Instagram page:

"In August I was suffering from a head cold and cough. As my symptoms worsened, my mother suggested I take a widely available medication from Korea that had helped her through a similar ailment. I took this medicine without checking its contents first only to later fidn that it contained a substance that is prohibited under the PGA Tour's Anti-Doping program. It was the only time I used this medication and in no way did I take it to gain a competitive advantage. I regret not being more thorough in my decision-making and take full responsibility for my actions. I'd like to thank the PGA Tour for supporting me during this process and look forward to returning to competition in the new year."

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