Son of the soil Michael Sims made a promising start to the Bermuda Open at Port Royal Golf Club yesterday.

Playing in blustery conditions, with winds gusting to as high as 30 knots, Bermuda’s leading golfer carded a four-over-par 75 to grab a share of the first-round lead with Gordon Brand Jr, the former Europe Ryder Cup player, and Glenn Joyner, of Australia.

Sims’s round contained three bogeys, a double bogey and a solitary birdie.

The former Web.com Tour player, competing in Bermuda for the first time since 2007, got up and down for birdie at the par-five 17th after a sumptuous wedge approach to two feet.

It proved to be the highlight of an otherwise gruelling round that was played in trying conditions, which resulted in many scores ballooning well into double digits in relation to par.

“It was certainly tough out there,” Sims said. “It was blowing pretty hard and even putting was a struggle.

“It was definitely challenging and there were also a lot of crosswinds, which made it a lot trickier. I hit the ball pretty good, so, all things considered, I was definitely pleased with the round.”

Joyner’s rollercoaster round included five bogeys, a double bogey, a birdie and an eagle at the par-five 7th. The Australian had done well enough to be at level par after the 10th, but lost momentum while carding four bogeys coming in.

Brand, who boasts the highest pedigree in the field and comes into the tournament on the back of victory on the European Seniors Tour last September, was fighting an uphill battle after taking a triple-bogey six at the 3rd. He did not record his first birdie until the par-four 12th, but, although his card was littered with two more bogeys, that proved good enough to keep the Scot in the lead trio.

American Justin Regier is one shot off the lead, with Walter Keating, of Canada, a further shot adrift.

“It was difficult and the golf course in general was extremely tough,” said Keating, who is making his first appearance in the tournament since 1998. “I am happy I only lost a couple of balls today.”

Dwayne Pearman, the Port Royal head professional and a former champion, is three shots off the lead in joint sixth.

In the amateur division, defending champion Jevon Roberts had a nightmare round of 90, 19 over par, which left him ten strokes off the pace. Four double bogeys and nine bogeys made for disappointing reading, which a solitary birdie at the par-three 16th, Port Royal’s signature hole, could do little to erase.

Roberts’s troubles left the door open for Jarryd Dillas to start on a path of atonement from the disappointment of his previous big tournament — the Bermuda Amateur Match Play Championships at Mid Ocean Club

Dillas, who had won the matchplay title four years in succession before being thumped in the semi-finals 2½ weeks ago by Ben Hodge, the eventual runner-up, holds a one-stroke lead over Mark Phillips after an opening 80.

While five bogeys might have been par for the course, given treacherous conditions that are forecast to continue today, Dillas would love to have escaped doubles on the par-five 2nd and the short 16th.

“It is not a bad score, all things considered with the weather,” he said. “But I felt I definitely left a few shots out there.”

He admitted to struggling on the long-driving holes and did not help himself by going four over on the closing three holes after failing to nail a short birdie putt at the 15th.

“I was disappointed with the way I let it slip at the end there,” Dillas said. “It was obviously very tough out there with the strong wind and the greens were a little bumpy, so it made holing putts difficult as well.”