Courtesy: garyplayer.com

On the eve of the British Open in July, Gary Player claimed that a prominent touring pro told him that he used steroids and Player estimated that at least 10 other players were taking performance enhancing drugs, too.

Less than a month later, an Italian golfer tested positive for Finasteride, a known masking agent for steroids.

Many scratch their heads and wonder what benefit a golfer could gain. And it's a good question until you stop and consider the different types of steroids available and their various purposes.

Some speed muscle and tissue healing; others can build muscle mass in conjunction with a workout regimen.

And still others, like beta-blockers, are capable of slowing down heart rates and reducing adrenaline, a real plus on the green putting for, say, 10 million dollars.

There is an excellent article at golfdigest.com that spells out not just the benefits each kind of steroid offers but exactly why golfers can and probably are using them.

And it makes you wonder...