GLASGOW'S bid team for the 2014 Commonwealth Games faces the tricky task of picking an extra sport for the line-up of events.

It had hoped to include golf as one of the 15 sports if the city won the race to host the games.

But Commonwealth officials bunkered the idea amid fears a host of major stars would snub the competition.

Under the games' rules, a host city has to include five compulsory sports and up to 10 additional challenges from an approved list.

Organisers of Melbourne 2006 successfully lobbied for basketball to be included in the line up and Glasgow would be allowed to apply for permission for an additional team sport.

Host countries can choose from archery, badminton, billiards and snooker, boxing, canoeing, cycling, fencing, gymnastics, judo, rowing, and shooting.

Backers also have the option of squash, table tennis, tennis, tenpin bowling, triathlon, weightlifting, wrestling and sailing, in addition to the five "core" events.

Glasgow's 2014 bid team wanted to add golf to the list of events to add a "distinct Scottish flavour" to the games.

But Commonwealth officials turned down a formal request from the International Golf Federation, it emerged yesterday.

First Minister Jack McConnell had supported the move but the Commonwealth Games Federation said the idea was a non-starter.

The members feared high-profile tour golfers would decline offers to compete in the Games as team captains.

Mike Hooper, chief executive of the federation, said: "We had concerns about the depth and quality of golf tournaments in the Commonwealth Games.

"If we attracted the best Commonwealth players then you could argue for it.

"But without the big tour players, it could be a very mediocre tournament."

Glasgow's only rivals for the games are Halifax, Canada, and Abuja, Nigeria.