Scots set off on the road to Beijing

which begins next Monday with the Shenzhen Open just over the Border and

north of Hong Kong.

Garry Harvey (Grangemouth), Brian Dunbar (Easter Moffat),

Germany-based Simon Yates, and David Thomson (Kings Links) all will play

in the first four 36-hole events, and if they are then in the top 35 on

the order of merit, or sponsor's invitations are forthcoming, they will

compete in the concluding 72-hole China Open -- also an Asian Tour event

-- at Beijing from April 27 to 30.

Originally, a group of six younger golfers were to make the trip

organised by the Edinburgh-based Govenlock Golf Management company, but

the necessary sponsorship was not forthcoming and so players able to

finance the trip themselves, some with private backing, are going

instead.

The company's Stephen Govenlock, whose objective is the promotion of

young professional golfers, had made inquiries about tournament

opportunities worldwide in our pre-season period, and as a result six

places on the China Tour, comprising 125 players, 85% of them Asian,

were confirmed in January.

The four Scots, therefore, also will be ambassadors. Accordingly, they

are all taking kilts to wear at official functions plus gifts such as

haggis and shortbread.

Thomson is better known as a coach than a player -- most notably as an

early guru of Paul Lawrie -- and has never before been on tour. However,

he is renowned as a big-hitter, and with an arthritis problem in his

left wrist virtually eliminated thanks to regular intake of that now

popular elixir, the New Zealand Green-lipped Mussel, he is optimistic.

He also is hopeful of benefiting from another Kiwi input, a putting

lesson from Simon Owen, who visited the Aberdeen golf range to spread

the gospel according to the latest instruction method, Natural Golf.

Of the China trip, Thomson said: ''It is the chance of a lifetime. I

have always wanted to visit that part of the world and if I don't go

now, I might never do it.''

Prize-money at the first four events will be $50,000 -- more than any

Tartan Tour event except for the Scottish Professional Championship --

and $400,000 at the China Open. Govenlock reckons that if the Scots play

to their known abilities, they will more than recoup their stakes of

just under #3000.

Harvey, who is sponsored by Calor Gas and has more than 10 seasons on

the European Tour behind him, plus a victory in the Kenyan Open, is

enthusiastic about the adventure. ''It is a unique opportunity and a

chance to get out and play before the Tartan Tour starts. I don't think

the competition is too strong, but it is an unknown quantity.''

Dunbar is a Tartan Tour stalwart and his trip is being backed by a

group of Chinese restaurateurs who comprise the Glasgow-based Chinese

Golfing Society, and Yates, formerly based at the Royal Burgess Golfing

Society in Edinburgh, has been making his mark in Germany, winning last

season a Satellite Tour event.

An attempt was made to arrange a Scotland-China international, but

Govenlock was told this was something for the future, as China have only

three pros -- not surprising since golf restarted in the country only 10

years ago after a 40-year ban.

In these 10 years golf has boomed, and behind the inaugural tour is

the American-educated Hong Kong Chinese Aylwin Tai, who was behind the

formation in 1985 of the first group of Chinese golfers at the Chung

Shan Hot Spring club in Zhongshan. He is working in partnership with

Scot Alistair Polson, a fellow director of Hong Kong-based Richmond

Worldwide Limited.

After Shenzhen, the tour moves to the Honichi Golf Resort for the

Honichi Open (April 13 and 14), then to Xilie Golf Club for the Hugo

Boss Open (April 18 and 19), and on to the Arnold Palmer-designed

Mission Hills Golf Club, venue of the World Cup in October, for the

Coca-Cola Open (April 21 and 22).