Bermuda endured a difficult day on the Oshitate course at Kaurizawa 72 Golf East to fall to joint 44th in the World Amateur Team Championships in Japan yesterday.

Jarryd Dillas suffered his first over-par round of the tournament, a one-over 72, while Mark Phillips and Will Haddrell returned 75 and 76 respectively as Bermuda lost 11 places to the field on moving day at the biennial championships. Their total for the day was 147, five over par, leaving Bermuda three over for the tournament.

According to Chris Brough, the non-playing captain, the trio teed off in very cool temperatures of about 50F and struggled to find their rhythm.

In proving the leading light as he has done throughout the championships, Dillas fired Bermuda’s first eagle, on the 561-yard, par-five 15th, and two birdies. But he also had a double bogey, on the par-four 11th, his second of the day, and three bogeys. Dillas is now joint 75th in the individual race.

Phillips improved significantly on yesterday’s nine-over 80 at Oshitate, but continued to have a rough time on the greens, with five lipped-out putts leaving him without a birdie on the course in two tries, his last coming on the 441-yard par-four 6th at Iriyama course on Wednesday.

Will Haddrell scrambled throughout, missing fairways by small margins and being punished with difficult lies that led to seven bogeys against two birdies.

The United States, who are seeking to become the first country to repeat as champions for the Eisenhower Trophy since 2004 when they pulled off the trick, stormed into a three-stroke lead after a stunning 128. The best team score of the three days was made possible by a record-setting 61 from Bryson DeChambeau, who made birdie on every hole coming home from the 13th, to go five birdies on the front nine. The ten-under-par round beat the previous record of 63 that was set in 1994 by Jason Dawes, of Australia.