Jimmy Lytle, a former Web.com Tour player, laid down an early marker during the first round of the Bermuda Open Championship at Port Royal Golf Course yesterday.

The American professional fired a five-under-par 66 that left him three shots clear of nearest rivals Nicholas Beddow and Patrick Rada also of the United States.

Camiko Smith topped the local field after 18 holes after signing off with a 73 that placed him in fifteenth with several players who also shot identical scores.

Michael Sims, who also has previous experience playing on the Web.com Tour, is a further two shots back in eighteenth.

Lytle made a solid start to his round in partially overcast conditions, rolling in three birdies on the front nine to make the turn at two under.

He kept the momentum going with four additional birdies to take early control of the tournament. Lytle’s only blemishes were rare bogeys at the 6th and 16th that did very little to knock his confidence.

Breathing down Lytle’s neck are compatriots Beddow and Rada who carded identical rounds of 69. Beddow struggled on the front where three bogeys left him with some work to do on the back nine.

But he managed to stop the bleeding, playing the final nine holes at three under to remain within striking distance of the leader. Beddow’s round included five birdies and three bogeys.

Rada was steady throughout his round that contained three birdies and a solitary bogey at the 4th.

The American dipped to two under after carding a birdie at the 11th and then made par the rest of the way in. At even par is Kent Fukushima, who is a past Gosling’s Invitational winner.

Local leader Smith made a fairly decent start to his round and remained at even par at the turn.

But his round fell apart on the back nine where he carded three bogeys, including back- to-back bogeys at the 15th and 16th. Smith’s roller-coaster round contained three birdies and five bogeys. Former Bermuda Open winner Sims had one of those days he would rather quickly forget.

Bermuda’s top golfer could not have asked for a worse start to his round after carding a double bogey at the 2nd and bogeys at the 3rd and 7th that left him at four over par at the turn.

Sims fared much better coming in, however, playing the last nine holes at even par with the only birdie of his round arriving at the 16th with the wind at his back.

Bermuda’s Mark Phillips and Damian Palanyandi held a share of the lead in the Amateur field after 18 holes, coming in three over par.

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