Who will host next year’s Grand Slam of golf is still totally up in the air, according to the golf director at the course which currently hosts the 36-hole, made-for-television spectacular.

Speaking to a Hawaiian newspaper this week, Poipu Bay Golf Club’s Craig Sasada indicated that Premier Ewart Brown’s insistence that the Mid Ocean Club was almost certain to host the 2007 event was not accurate.

“We’re still in negotiations,” he told the Honolulu Star Bulletin.

“Our contract runs from year to year, and there’s always been different entities trying to get it. Both Bermuda and Las Vegas were in the running last year (for the 2006 contract), too.”

The PGA of America — the body which sanctions the tournament played between the year’s four Grand Slam champions — have so far refused to shed any light on who next year’s host will be and when they plan to make the announcement.

Their communications director Julius Mason told The Royal Gazette last week that discussions “were ongoing”.

Asked whether he knew that Brown — who was fulfilling his last day as Tourism Minister when he made the high-profile announcement before quitting 24 hours later to pursue the top job — had told the Bermudian public that the deal was all-but sealed, Mason said that there was “still a lot to resolve”.

“There are a number of potential hosts who have expressed an interest and they are all still being considered,” he added.

“We are not in a position to make any announcement as of yet because no decision has been made. I wish I could tell you when we will be doing so, but we are not in that position yet.”

This year’s Grand Slam of Golf takes place in Hawaii from November 22-23 and will see British Open and PGA Championship winner Tiger Woods take on US Open champion Geoff Ogilivy and alternates Mike Weir and Jim Furyk for the $500,000 first prize.

The Department of Tourism has already pledged to stump up $1.5 million to host the 2007 event.