There were no positive tests at the start of its new drug-testing program, European Tour officials have announced. Six players were tested during the recent European Open, including former Open champion Paul Lawrie, and all of them tested negative for banned substances.

"We tested six players at the European Open, chosen from random, three from one half of the draw and three from the other," said European Tour Chief Executive George O'Grady. "All six players were happy with the way it was done.

"I think the players all understand why we have to do it. One is for the bid to get golf into the Olympics, and two is to keep the unprecedented image of professional golf," he added. "We strongly believe we are completely clean and we have to be seen to be clean now and prove it.

"We've had a widespread education process on supplements, the sorts of things everybody takes, not just sportsmen, and the same has gone on on the PGA Tour as well."

Last year's Open Championship at Carnoustie began amid claims from Gary Player that he "knows for a fact" there are players taking drugs.

Drug testing also has begun on the PGA Tour and no positive findings have been reported. The first major to have drug testing will be next month's PGA Championship at Oakland Hills, while September's Ryder Cup is also subject to the new regime.

France's Marc Farry failed a voluntary drug test at the French Open in 2003, but was later exonerated when it was established the result was due to medication he was taking for a wrist injury.

GOLFER OF THE MONTH: Pablo Larrazabal has been named the European Tour Golfer of the Month for June following his maiden victory in the Alstom French Open.

Not only did the 25-year-old Spaniard lead from start to finish and hold off a chasing pack that included two former European Tour No. 1, Colin Montgomerie and Lee Westwood, he also became the first player in history to come through the qualifying event to triumph in Continental Europe's oldest national open championship.

He also followed in the footsteps of his fellow countryman Sergio Garcia, who won the May award after his victory in The Players' Championship.

"I played great golf in France and to win the Golfer of the Month Award is a superb feeling for me because a lot of players in could have won that award for June," he said. "In the third and fourth rounds in France, I probably played the best golf of my life and to beat guys like Colin Montgomerie and Lee Westwood is amazing."

Alo nominated were January's award winner Martin Kaymer, who came through a playoff with Denmark's Anders Hansen to become the first German golfer to win the BMW International Open in Munich; England's David Dixon, who sampled his first European Tour success when he won the dual ranking SaintOmer Open; and India's Jeev Milkha Singh, who became the third Indian golfer to win on the 2008 European Tour when he claimed the Bank Austria Golf Open.

The Golfer of the Month Award winners thus far in 2008 have been: Kaymer (January), Mark Brown of New Zealand (February), Graeme McDowell of Northern Ireland (March), Trevor Immelman of South Africa (April) and Garcia (May). At the end of the year, all monthly winners will be amongst the players considered by the panel for The European Tour Golfer of the Year.

CZECHING IN: The European Tour will return to the Czech Republic for the first time in 12 years with the announcement that the Czech Golf Open will feature on the 2009 schedule.

The tournament will be played at the Miguel Angel Jimenez-designed Prosper Golf Resort from July 30-Aug. 2, 2009 and will form part of the inaugural Race to Dubai.

The European Tour last visited the Czech Republic in 1997, when two-time Masters Champion Bernhard Langer took the title by four strokes over Niclas Fasth and Ignacio Garrido and by five over Jimenez.