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Spencer Robinson

YAU Sui-ming is facing the threat of disciplinary action after withdrawing from the Hong Kong Professional Golfers' Association (HKPGA) Golden Harvest Invitational - the showpiece event on the domestic golfing calendar.

 Seven-time PGA champion Yau - Hong Kong's best known golfer - left the Fanling club soon after completing a disappointing opening round of five-over-par 75 on the New Course yesterday.

 In the early afternoon he telephoned Joe Hardwick, captain of the HKPGA, to inform him of his decision to take no further part in the tournament.

 The reason given by Yau was that he had been called away from Hong Kong at short notice for a couple of days.

 Hardwick said he was not satisfied with Yau's explanation. By pulling out, he said Yau was setting a bad example for the less-senior members of the association.

  Hardwick said: ''The players who are taking part feel that if he didn't want to play, he shouldn't have entered in the first place.''  The HKPGA captain said the matter will be raised at the next association meeting.

  ''We will discuss whether to take disciplinary action against Yau,'' Hardwick said, indicating the punishment could take the form of a fine or a ban.

 Yau, 38, has been a stalwart of the Hong Kong PGA since turning professional in 1980.

 In 1993 he was a member of the Hong Kong teams in both the Alfred Dunhill Cup and the World Cup of Golf.

 However, his form over the past few months has been patchy and going into this week's tournament he was fourth in the Order of Merit standings with no chance of overhauling the two leaders.

 As a result of his withdrawal, it is unlikely that Yau will be considered for selection for this year's international teams which are based on the standing of the players in the Order of Merit.

 News of Yau's shock pull-out overshadowed an outstanding performance from 42-year-old Lai Wai-che on the opening day of the HK$180,000 tournament.

 Lai, the second of four Hong Kong-born golfing professionals, produced a sparkling round of two-under-par 68 - the only sub-par return of the day - to open up a two-stroke lead from Tang brothers Alex and Shu-wing, Dominique Boulet and Myanmar's Kyi Hla Han.

 Thomas Lloyd is alone in sixth place following a 71, while defending champion Tang Man-kee is level with Richard Kan and Singapore's Bill Fung on 72.

 In contrast to Yau, it was very much a day to remember for Lai, who made four World Cup appearances for Hong Kong during the 1970s and won the PGA title in 1978 and 1980.

 Formerly based at Fanling, Lai now splits his time between Hong Kong, China and Canada, where he is the professional at the Musquen Golf Club in Vancouver.

 Lai hardly put a foot wrong yesterday in a rock-solid round which included birdies at the fifth, 14th and 17th and a solitary bogey at the par-four ninth where he three-putted.

 No one, however, was faster out of the starting blocks than Discovery Bay Golf Club senior professional Alex Tang. He rolled home birdie putts at the first, third, fifth and seventh to go to four-under.

   However, he dropped four strokes over the closing 11 holes to finish at even-par.

 Joining him on that figure were his younger brother Shu-wing, and pre-tournament favourites Boulet and Han.

 Using his new extended broomhandle putter, Boulet, leading the 1993/94 merit standings and bidding for his first PGA crown, began brightly with a successful six-foot birdie putt at the short second.

 He was faced with another six-footer for birdie on the treacherous green of the third hole.

   To his horror, Boulet watched as his attempt down the steep slope rolled 12 feet past the cup.

   He missed the one coming back and walked off with a bogey-six on his card.



Veteran Yau in trouble after mystery walkout