A criminal investigation has now been launched in Palm Beach, Florida, following the mysterious disappearance of Maverick Golf Tour Director Tim Avramidis ? along with over $300,000 from the official tour account.

As was reported in last week, Bermuda?s top golfer Michael Sims, who has been a regular on the tour for most of the year, discovered earlier this month that a number of his prize money cheques ? totalling $42,000 ? were bouncing, as were those of many of his fellow professionals.

Then last week, Avramidis failed to turn up for the $100,000 tournament at the PGA National in south Florida and the event had to be cancelled on Wednesday after the players refused to tee off in the second round.

While nobody connected with the Maverick Tour has laid eyes on him since last Monday, according to reports in the Palm Beach Post, Avramidis? family also have no idea where he is and attempts to contact him on his cellular phone have proved continually unsuccessful.

According to Maverick Tour rules official Bill Murphy, it appears that Avramidis departed the players? motel in Palm Beach without wanting to be seen.

?We?ve discovered that he checked out of the motel in the early hours of Monday morning and that he has cleared the account of all the money,? he said.

?We have filed a police report for the (alleged) theft of around or over $300,000. That would have included prize money and all the deposits the players have to pay.?

Sims paid a non-refundable deposit of $9,980 in order to join the tour.

However, what makes the disappearance all the more perplexing, is that according to the many players who have talked to the , Avramidis was a well-known philanthropist in the lower echelons of professional golf, often subsidising out-of-pocket Maverick tour aspirants from his own pocket.

?I know he helped out a ton of guys along the way, even players who were flat broke,? pro golfer Rich Faas told the .

?And even now there are guys around saying that it must be some kind of mistake and he will bring the money back. That?s how legitimate they think this guy is.?

Sims himself, speaking yesterday from Wichita, Kansas, where he missed the qualifying mark for the Nationwide Tour at Quail Ridge Country club despite shooting five under par, said that he and the rest of his fellow professionals were still very much in the dark.

?I don?t know what to say and there probably won?t be much to say until they find the guy,? he said.

?I?ve known Avramidis for two years I thought all along he was decent guy. And to be honest I?ve stopped worrying about it because I?ve come to terms with the fact that I?m probably not going to see my money and I?ve got to focus on making sure my game stays as sharp as it is at the moment.?

?But I don?t know what I?m doing right now,? he continued.

?All I know is that I?ve got my rental car, my luggage and an airport to get to. This week I?m probably going to go down to Texas to check out a few of the USPGA qualifying school courses in preparation for the tournaments in October, but after that I?m not sure.?

The timing of the scandal is particularly unfortunate for Sims, who has put many long months of struggle behind him to emerge as one of the more consistent players on tour.

On June 25, he secured a one-shot victory at the Palm Aire Country Club ? for which he ?earned? $25,000 ? while last week he finished second at Inverrary Country Club.