Brian Wilson, Minister of State at the Scotland Office, was at Varadero on the final day to watch some of the play in the First Cuba European Challenge Tour Grand Final.

A friend of Jimmy Burns, the Director of Golf for the Sol Melia Hotel Group at Varadero, Mr Wilson took time off from his duties in representing the Government at the Trade Fair in Havana to run the rule over some of the talent on the Challenge Tour.

He was particularly pleased that the European Challenge Tour had agreed to stage the climax to its season in Cuba and was complimentary about Burns's efforts to spread the gospel of golf to the local youngsters through the teaching academy he has set up at Varadero.

"It's particularly good that Jimmy is seeking to open up golf to the local children and using his contacts with the R&A and John Letters to help him," he said.

"It's important that if golf is to develop here that it's not just within tourism but that local people are part of it. Golf is very much a game for working people and the Cubans with their natural rhythm and timing, should be good at golf."

Mr Wilson, the MP for Cunninghame North, invited several of the players to the Trade Fair on Monday before they flew back to London.