PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. -- A journeyman professional golfer who has spent time recently giving lessons and caddying said in a radio interview that
Tiger Woods has been suspended for a month by the PGA Tour -- a claim that the PGA Tour and Woods' agent vehemently deny.
Dan Olsen, 48, who last played a PGA Tour event at the 2011 PGA Championship, told 730AM The Game in Lansing, Mich., on Friday that
"I heard he's on a month's suspension ... it's kind of a strong witness. It's a credible person who is telling me this.''
Olsen, who played only one full season on the PGA Tour (2004), said an exempt tour player told him, but he would not disclose the player and couldn't say he fully believed him. He also told ESPN.com's Michael Collins on Monday that the information he got about the suspension was not first-hand.
"It's not testosterone, but it's something else,'' Olsen said. "I think when it's all said and done, he's gonna surpass Lance Armstrong with infamy.''
Olsen also talked about Woods using a "cheater ball,'' referring to the Nike golf ball he plays, and that those allegations were potentially more damaging than the suspension.
"I'll be looked at as just some crazy f--- nobody making accusations about Tiger,'' Olsen told ESPN.com.
Ty Votaw, the executive vice president of the PGA Tour, denied any of the claims brought forth by Olsen.
"There is no truth whatsoever to these claims," Votaw said. "We categorically deny these allegations.''
The Tour almost never comments on disciplinary matters.
Woods said on Feb. 11 that he was taking a break to deal with the issues in his game after withdrawing during the first round last month of the Farmers Insurance Open.
"Over the past year, Woods has withdrawn with an injury three times and now fallen outside of the 70 in the world.
"These claims are absolutely, unequivocally and completely false,'' said Woods' agent, Mark Steinberg, in a statement. "They are unsourced, unverified and completely ridiculous. The PGA Tour has confirmed that there is no truth to these claims.''
If Woods failed a test for performance drugs, the PGA Tour has said it is required to announce a suspension. And it would undoubtedly be for more than a month. If he failed a test for some sort of recreational substance, the tour's policy is not to disclose any penalties.
But if the transgression were severe, a month penalty would seem minor.
"They're not even going to remember the women,'' Olsen said, referring to the personal scandal Woods endured in 2009 which led to a divorce from his wife. "The women are going to take a distance second place. You're gonna talk about him with Lance Armstrong.''
The PGA Tour began testing for performance enhancing drugs in 2008 and Woods has been randomly tested like other players. Only two players have run afoul of the drug testing guidelines and both were suspended for a year.
Olsen tied for 12th at Tucson in 2004, one of only eight cuts that he made in 31 PGA Tour starts that season. He also played the Web.com Tour in 2006, finishing with two top-10s in 27 events.
