Golf has been shortlisted for the 2012 Olympics but a row could be brewing within the sport over whether to press ahead for its inclusion in the Games.
The Royal and Ancient Club (R&A), which governs golf outside the United States, is backing the bid but there could be opposition from the European and US PGA tours.
The news followed reports that golf, rugby and squash had been included on a shortlist of five sports to be assessed for possible inclusion in the 2012 Games.
Golf was included at the Paris Games in 1900 and St Louis in 1904.
"It's good to hear that we have been confirmed (on the shortlist)," R&A secretary Peter Dawson said yesterday. "But it's true to say that the two tours are less supportive than they were. They have issues over the scheduling of the event, which could conflict (with tour tournaments)."
Dawson stressed there was still a long way to go before golf returned to the Games schedule. "Because of the imposed limit at the Games, any new sport would have to take the place of an existing one, which would then be deposed," he added.
He said the matter would be discussed between the various governing bodies at an International Golf Federation meeting in Puerto Rico on October 26th.
European Tour executive-director designate George O'Grady said: "It would be premature to make comment at this time and we will wait for further clarification of the situation following the IOC'S session in Singapore in July."
PGA Tour officials were not immediately available for comment.
The International Olympic Committee is reviewing the merits of all 28 current Olympic sports and disciplines following the Athens Games and has decided also to assess golf, rugby, squash, karate and roller sports.
"We have sent a questionnaire to the 28 summer federations represented in the Olympic Games," an IOC spokesman said. "It is all part of the ongoing review of the Olympic programme. As part of this process the IOC has decided to include five sports not currently in the Games."
The IOC earlier this year drew up a list of 33 criteria on which Olympic sports would be assessed, ranging from the history and development of the sport to gender equity and the impact on the environment of staging the sport.
"These criteria will help us to make a decision at the International Olympics Committee session in Singapore next July as to the programme for the Olympic Games in 2012," the spokesman said.
Meanwhile, Athens Olympics organisers have vehemently denied any financial improprieties in the run-up to this year's Games, as suggested in an audit report this week.
Athens Games chief Gianna Angelopoulos said yesterday the report for the year 2001 did not paint an accurate picture of the organisers' work ahead of the Olympics in August.
Flanked by lawyers and her chief financial officer for the Games, Angelopoulos said every euro would be accounted for when the organisers close the books at the end of the year.
The audit report for the year 2001 claims the Games organising committee (ATHOC) did not always follow proper hiring procedures, awarded tenders without signing contracts and had several thousand euro in unaccounted payments.
The reports for the years 2002, 2003 and 2004 are being prepared and will be ready in the coming months, officials said.
"We will leave no doubt hanging in the air over our actions' legality and transparency, full stop," Angelopoulos said.
Two of the three auditors who drafted the report testified to prosecutors on Wednesday regarding their accusations.
The charges include spending "large sums" for receptions and out-of-town expenses, hiring 39 of 41 directors and general directors by bending local labour laws and offering large salaries, and awarding considerable compensation for employees who resigned and were not eligible for payment.
Angelopoulos said all unaccounted expenses would come out of the salaries of the employees who filed them while higher monthly wages had been necessary to attract people "to do a job in four years when you normally need seven".
