Bad-boy golfer David Smith has been forgiven for his final-round histrionics during the Bermuda Amateur Strokeplay Championships last month.

Smith?s place on the Island?s three-man team for the World Amateur Team Championships in South Africa later this year was originally called into question after almost being disqualified for hurling his club into the ocean and swearing repeatedly while in the process of squandering a two-shot lead on the back nine at Port Royal.

Shortly after the tournament, which was eventually won by doctor Robert Vallis by a single shot from American college student William Haddrell, Bermuda Golf Association president Bob Legere labelled Smith?s behaviour ?totally unacceptable? and said the BGA would seriously consider excluding him because of it.

?We cannot tolerate behaviour like that from people who aspire to represent Bermuda at a major international event,? he said at the time.

?It was simply not good enough and we are going to have to consider his inclusion in the team very carefully.?

Smith, however, has subsequently written to the governing body apologising profusely for his actions ? an apology they have decided to accept.

?The teams have been finalised and though we had some serious issues with David?s behaviour during that final round, we were prepared to look favourably on his letter of apology,? Legere said yesterday.

?This does not, however, mean that the slate is wiped clean. He will go to South Africa, but that letter will be kept on file in case anything like this ever happens again.?

The selection process for the most prestigious international team event in amateur golf has not been a smooth one for the BGA, with local golfers like Jarryd Dillas also questioning the right of Haddrell ? a Bermudian who has lived in England for many years and attends college in the US ? to qualify for the team on the basis of only one good tournament performance.

But Legere was unmoved by the criticism, insisting Haddrell had been keeping the BGA informed of his tournament results overseas and had done all that was required of him under selection rules.

The three-man team of Vallis, Haddrell and Smith along with a ladies team made up of Ebonie Burgess, Laura Robinson and Katyna Rabain will travel to South Africa?s Western Province in October for four rounds of golf on two of the best-known courses in the region.

They will play two rounds at the Stellenbosch Golf Club ? which boasts a 6,943 yard course on which the South African Open is played ? and two rounds at the luxurious De Zalze Country Club as well ? with the lowest two scores per round counting towards the team?s overall total.

A young and inexperienced men?s team of Jarryd Dillas, Eric West and Fraser Hunt finished 34th out of 66 nations at the last WATC in Puerto Rico two years ago, while the women ? Robinson, Burgess and Kim Bothello ? came 39th.