into a major golf tournament -- against the advice of civil servants, it was claimed this week.

Tourism Minister David Allen alleged that UBP influence was used to ensure continued funding for the Gillette Tour Challenge Championship -- even though tourism staff recommended support should be dropped.

Funding of $500,000 for the event was cut from this year's tourism budget and with the news that Gillette have withdrawn their support, the October tournament at the Mid Ocean Club hangs in the balance.

Defending his decision to slash the allocation, Allen said the return from the investment was not "delivering sufficient bang for the dollar'' and added that Gillette were also having second thoughts about the event at the same time.

"It is something that had merit in its day, I hope it continues but it will have to find additional sponsors,'' he said.

"There was strong UBP lobby that the project continue. We don't have marketing staff to thumb our noses and ignore them, we do listen to them. It wasn't giving the bang for buck we needed.'' But the Minister ran into a storm of protest after he singled out UBP MPs C.V.

(Jim) Woolridge and Michael Dunkley, as a member and president of the Mid Ocean Club, respectively, during his speech.

He said: "Because some of the members of that club have vested interests in seeing it proceed.'' Both MPs protested he was impugning improper motives.

Dunkley said: "The tournament was for the betterment of Bermuda not the club.

Bermuda needs that tournament. The Minister is out of order.'' And he added that the Minister of Tourism did not attend the final ceremony at the event, nor did he send a representative in his place.