Bermuda Golf Association have given the official go-ahead for all amateur golfers to play in this summer’s Peugeot Challenge Cup, with president Bob Legere now stating unequivocally: “you will not lose your amateur status by taking part”.

Last week Legere raised doubts about the legitimacy of the new competition scheduled to take place in July, saying he believed it contravened international rules governing amateur status in that it offered two all-expenses paid entries into a major Pro-Am event in France to the male and female winners.

Misinterpreting what he still claims to have been “totally misleading advertising” for the tournament, Legere assumed the cost of the prize was being paid for by Peugeot — a strict no-no under the rules — and was worried those with college golf scholarships might end up losing them because they would technically be deemed professional players for at least 12 months afterwards.

Since that time, however, the organisers have shown that the Pro-Am berths are being paid for by the French Golf Federation — which makes them acceptable under the law — while the tournament itself, which is played in over 20 other countries also, is officially sanctioned by The Royal and Ancient, the governing body of golf which wrote the amateur status laws.

“I have received a letter from the French Golf Federation clarifying the whole issue and I can tell you that the BGA is going to sign off on this event. There are no problems with amateur status,” Legere said.

“I think it’s a good event for Bermuda golf, with great prizes, and I hope as many people as possible will enter it. As president of the BGA I saw a potential problem — a problem which has caused me significant headaches before in past events — and it was my responsibility to bring it to the public’s attention.

“But I’m grateful to the tournament organisers for clarifying the situation and I wish the tournament the greatest of success.