Vijay SinghThe Canadian Press
PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. - Vijay Singh is suing the PGA Tour over the way it handled the investigation of his use of deer antler spray.
Singh filed the lawsuit in New York on Wednesday, one week after the tour said it was dropping its case against him. It said the World Anti-Doping Agency said two weeks ago it no longer considers the spray a banned substance except for a positive test.
According to the lawsuit, the Tour exposed Singh "to public humiliation and ridicule for months" and that Singh was going to be suspended for 90 days.
"Rather than performing its duties to golfers first, and then determining whether there had been any violation of the Anti-Doping Program, the PGA Tour rushed to judgment and accused one of the world's hardest working and most dedicated golfers of violating the rules of the game," the suit says.
Singh admitted back in January in an interview with Sports Illustrated to using deer-antler spray but was unaware that it could contain a banned performance-enhancer connected to human growth hormone called IGF-1.
During the Tour's investigation, the World Anti-Doping Agency informed the PGA that the use of deer antler spray is no longer prohibited. That information was received on April 26. PGA Tour Commissioner Tim Finchem confirmed he was dropping the case April 30.
Singh says he wants to reclaim his reputation and hold the tour responsible for its "unwarranted effort" to suspend him. In his lawsuit, Singh says that the Tour is awaare of other golfers who have used deer antler spray but did not attempt to discipline them.
"I am proud of my achievements, my work ethic, and the way I live my life," Singh said in a statement. "The PGA Tour not only treated me unfairly, but displayed a lack of professionalism that should concern every professional golfer and fan of the game."
One of Singh's attorneys, Jeffrey Rosenblum, says Singh was accused unjustly and that there should not be an asterisk next to the name of the four-time major champion.