After winning the Island's inaugaral Bacardi Par 3 National Championships last month, Daniel Augustus is setting his sights a little higher next week.

The Bermuda golf professional flies out to Florida tomorrow to begin his preparations for a US Open qualifying event, and the start of a summer which he hopes will see him take his first steps towards the PGA Tour.

Augustus will compete in the local qualifying event at the Magnolia Course at Disney World in Orlando next Thursday, and is heading out early to give himself the best possible chance to move on to the next stage.

"The tournament isn't until next Thursday, but I'm going down to get ready, get off the Island, clear my head and get used to the conditions, which are completely different," said Augustus.

"It's always been an advantage to get to an event early. When I was with Bermuda playing in the World Amateur and at the Island Games, we had four practice rounds to get comfortable to the playing conditions, which I think is a great idea. You get match ready."

As well as getting used to the course on which the qualifier will be played, Augustus is also planning on entering a mini-tour event, if he can find one nearby. It's something he plans on doing a lot more this summer.

"If I find any (mini-tours) down there, I'll do those before . . . anything I can do to get ready," he said. "Then this summer I'll be going off as much as possible for mini-tour events and Monday qualifiers for the Nationwide Tour if I can."

His main focus, however, will be mini-tours which he believes are the best way to start his journey towards eventually playing alongside the likes of Phil Mickelson and Tiger Woods.

"I believe mini-tours are the best way to get you ready for the next step," said Augustus. "You start off on the Moonlight Tour, the Tar Heels Tour, the Hooters Tour, and then working your way to the Canadian and Nationwide Tours, and working your way eventually to the PGA Tour.

"When you're a good amateur, I think the mini-tour is the best way to start because that's almost on your level. You don't want to jump the gun and get discouraged. I believe you should start at a level that you are comfortable with and then work your way up."

While Augustus is in Orlando preparing for his qualifying event, fellow Bermudians Camiko Smith and Jarryd Dillas will be in Rhode Island trying their best to also make it to the next stage of US Open qualifying.

The pair are travelling to the US on Sunday for next Tuesday's round at the Mata Comet course.

"There's nothing to lose and everything to gain by going," said Smith.

And Smith will be back in America the following week to compete in the Keith Hills Amateur tournament in North Carolina. He played in the event two years ago, and has entered once more. His big trip this year, however, is likely to come in August at the US Amateur qualifiers.

"I e-mailed the Keith Hills and they were happy for me to play," said Smith, "and then the US Ams are coming around again this year, which I'm going to go to as well."

n Applications for the Bermuda Senior Amateur Championships must reach Scott Roy at the Bermuda Golf Association by 5 p.m. tomorrow at the latest. The tournament runs from May 11 to 13, and will see Max Atherden and Kathy Lloyd-Hines out to defend their titles at Riddell's Bay Golf Club.