MARK James, the poacher-turned-gamekeeper in that he has matured from

youthful rebellion to a place among European professional golf's ruling

establishment, yesterday took the opportunity of the abandonment of the

first round of the Dunhill British Masters to take up the cause of the

boiler room against the bridge.

Not even Woburn's deserved reputation for being able to absorb copious

draughts of rain could withstand the deluge of the last two days. After

the cancellation of the pro-am competition on Wednesday the start of the

tournament itself was called off without a shot having been hit.

If the weather relents, the intention now is to play the first and

second rounds today and tomorrow and cut to 50 and ties for 36 holes on

Sunday. Mike Stewart, the tournament director, and everyone else

connected with the #650,000 event must hope fervently that not too many

do qualify for the final rounds.

Precedents do exist. On two previous occasions, in 1985 and 1992, the

tournament lost a day's play and 61 and 54 competitors respectively

survived. It would be too much to hope for a repetition of last week's

convenient cut in the European Open, where exactly 65 escaped the axe.

Among the early starters cooling their heels in the clubhouse awaiting

a decision, some whiled away the time discussing the recent comments of

Nick Faldo and Severiano Ballesteros on the present discontents, as they

and other leading professionals see them, concerning the operation of

the Tour.

Needless to say, the view of the other ranks differed from the

assertions of the officer class that the programme was too long, that

too many courses were inferior in conditioning and as challenges, that

some practice and other facilities left much to be desired, and that the

International Management Group's influence was too pervasive.

Expression to their opinions was articulated by James who, entirely of

his own volition, wandered over to the press centre, with whose

inhabitants the 40-year-old Lancastrian has had relations varying from

the distant to the caustic, to voice the thoughts of ''the average

players''.

''I couldn't believe the things Nick said,'' James, a member of the

tour's tournament committee, declared. ''The universal opinion was that

he must be playing a different tour to the rest of us. I think it is

difficult to get an overall picture of the venues if he has played in

only seven European tournaments this season.

''One reason for the development of good players, of whom Faldo is

definitely one, over the last 15 years is that everything is not laid on

and courses are different,'' James continued. ''One week you are hitting

drives and long irons, the next trying to keep the ball on the course

with a No.5 iron in all sorts of winds.''

James then added: ''I can understand them being bothered about quality

rather than quantity, but if there are 38 tournaments you are bound to

play some in poor weather and have to go to indifferent courses just to

have the tournaments.

''I think you will find the guy who is fortieth in the qualifying

school or at the lower end of the order of merit won't be complaining

about too many tournaments. More tournaments mean more money and that is

what we are playing for -- our living. It is not handed us on a plate.''

Recalling that in the 1970s, before the Tour's rapid expansion, IMG

had kept several tournaments going, James complained ''that many top

players' thinking is dominated by money. Some won't play without

guarantees, but I know a number of players -- and I am one of them --

who, if they won the British Open, would not take extra-curricular money

in Europe.

''I think the top players make enough already not to need extra

inducements,'' James concluded. ''It's a shame they won't go to some of

the smaller events, but where they play is dominated by money factors,

which is incompatible with their criticisms of the length of the Tour.''

* FORMER Renfrewshire Ladies county champion Donna Jackson carded a 79

in wet underfoot conditions at Gourock yesterday to win the scratch

section of the Renfrewshire Ladies Autumn Meeting. Leading scores:

Scratch: 79 -- D Jackson (Cochrane Castle). Handicap (scr-9): 77 -- P

Orr (Paisley, 4). 78 -- S Hamilton (Haggs Castle, 9). 79 -- D Jackson

(Cochrane Castle, scr). Handicap (10-13): 74 -- R Davis (Cathcart

Castle, 10) bih, R Dykes (Bonnyton, 10). 75 -- M Cameron (Whitecraigs,

11). Handicap (14 plus): 73 -- M Johnson (Gourock, 20). 75 -- M Harper

(Erskine, 19). 77 -- J Attwooll (Caldwell, 18).