policy for the World Amateur Team Championships was defeated last week.

Marshall, a former Rules Committee chairman of the Bermuda Golf Association, is in favour of Bermudians only representing the country at the biennial tournament.

Last Thursday's special meeting at Belmont Golf Club saw a majority support a proposal -- launched by a group that features Marshall -- but it was not enough to overturn the present policy where the teams are selected on a points system based on performances in local tournaments.

Approximately 100 BGA members were present at the two-hour meeting, with about 90 more voting in proxy. Of that 190 total, 53.9 percent voted to change the selection policy.

"It needed to be 75 percent but to me this is a small victory,'' said Marshall yesterday.

"The Bermuda Golf Association needs to realise that the majority feel that a change should be made. This will be pursued in the future. I don't think it's a dead issue. I had a number of encouraging calls the day after to keep going.'' Added Marshall: "My main issue is the article of the World Golf Council, which states that a team should be made up of citizens. If a team of citizens is impractical then they could pick from normal residents. I don't think a team of Bermudians is impractical.'' Both Marshall and past president Mal Gosling spoke yesterday of the large turn-out at the meeting.

"This is the biggest meeting we've had at a general meeting since I've been involved in golf,'' said Gosling who is the public relation officer for the BGA.

Gosling is in favour of retaining the present selection policy, which would allow non-Bermudians to be eligible to represent the Island in the world championships provided they have lived here for the required three years.

The issue came to a head last year when promising youngster Duncan Zelkin just missed out on selection to the Bermuda team that travelled to Vancouver, Canada.

"He's an up-and-coming junior who has just gone off to university and the experience would have been invaluable for him,'' Marshall said.

"I would have liked to see him make it, too,'' admitted Gosling. "Everybody says Bermudians don't get better because we don't have the competition, but if they can overcome this they will have earned their places.'' Two of the three places on the team went to foreign-born Bermuda residents, Jack Wahl and Arthur Jones, with Glenn Simmons the other member of the team.

Gosling said there could also be an issue in regards to the legality of the motion under the Human Rights Act in reference to discrimination against anybody who is a member of a club.

He pointed out that the team also represents the Bermuda Golf Association and made reference to the amount of volunteer work done by foreign-born residents at local tournaments. Gosling also mentioned that Wahl has been here some 13 years and owns a home in Bermuda.

There is a three-year residency requirement before a member of the BGA can start to qualify for selection, followed by a qualification period of two years.

"Arthur Jones has been here eight years and it doesn't look like he's going home,'' said Gosling. "We want to send the best team that we're allowed to send under the rules and this is what we've been doing. You can't disenfranchise people who support the association.'' He said the motion to change the selection policy had already been defeated twice by the general committee and now by the BGA membership.

The general committee consists of nine elected members and delegates from each member club. It also appoints officers and runs the association like a board of directors.

The three members of the women's team, who also competed in Canada last summer were Bermudians Judithanne Astwood, Madeline Joell and Kim Marshall.

DUNCAN ZELKIN -- Lost out on chance to represent Bermuda at the world championships as two spots were taken by foreign residents.