The Australian Sports Commission today announced that Australia&aposs best male and female amateur golfers now have additional support in their quest to break into the professional ranks, with the recommencement of the Australian Institute of Sport Golf program. A total of 21 scholarships are being offered by the AIS to assist the 2007 Australian national men&aposs and women&aposs amateur teams. The program, which has the support of Golf Australia and the Australian Sports Commission, will expand in time to cater for Australia&aposs best rookie professionals. The AIS Golf program was temporarily suspended in July 2005 pending the amalgamation of the Australian Golf Union and Women’s Golf Australia to form a new organisation, Golf Australia. “The return of the AIS Golf program signals a brighter future for golf, as it will better prepare Australia&aposs best amateur players to make that important transition into the professional ranks,” Australian Institute of Sport Director Professor Peter Fricker said. The 2007 program is camps-based, with athletes doing much of their training in their home states, then coming together for specialist AIS camps. The camps will make use of Golf Australia&aposs Centre of Excellence at Moonah Links on Victoria&aposs Mornington Peninsula as well as the main AIS training facility in Canberra. First established in 1992 as a national elite development program, AIS Golf has evolved to now become the primary support program for the Australian national men&aposs and women’s amateur teams. Tony Hallam, CEO of Golf Australia said, “We are delighted to be partners in the re-introduction of the AIS program. “The re-introduction is another step in the implementation of the recommendations from the Australian Sports Commission review of Elite Pathways in Australian Golf. The primary objective of the AIS new program is be a key part of an elite pathway program that continues to produce Australian players who make the top 100 in the world professional rankings and support the promotion of the game of golf in Australia” *The AIS is a major division of the Australian Sports Commission, funded by the Australian Government.