Mark Brooks realised as soon as his name came out of the hat shortly after 9.15 last night he was the luckiest player in the draw.

Learning his partners for today's Gillette Tour Challenge would be the two hottest stars on the respective Senior and LPGA Tours -- Hale Irwin and Annika Sorenstam -- the 1996 PGA champion quipped: "I might as well just caddy.'' He was joking, of course, but there was no doubt Brooks had snatched an early advantage on his seven PGA Tour counterparts.

Irwin etched his name into golf's history books by becoming the first man to pocket two million dollars in a single season when he won Sunday's Vantage Championship in North Carolina for his eighth win of the year, at the same time super Swede Sorenstam was nailing her sixth LPGA Tour title of 1997 at the Betsy King Classic in Pennsylvania.

Both Irwin and Sorenstam lead their respective Tours in money-winnings, and while Brooks hasn't quite managed to build on his 1996 season when he grabbed three PGA Tour titles, together that threesome will be considered the favourites for this morning's $1.8 million Challenge.

Certainly there was no arguing from `Merry Mex' Lee Trevino who told his playing partners, Sally Little and John Cook: "Don't count on me!'' "I hope you're playing good, 'cause I'm playing awful,'' laughed Trevino.

"Why don't we just take last place now and get the hell out of here.'' Jokes aside, most would agree that while the Irwin-Sorenstam-Brooks combination might look good on paper, such is the depth of this inaugural three-Tour event, any one of the eight star-studded trios are capable of firing bunches of birdies.

Craig Stadler's contention that it might take a score as low as 15 or 16 under par on the best-ball format to secure the $450,000 winner's cheque might have raised the eyebrows of a few Mid Ocean Club members, but most of the pros agreed that, providing the wind didn't blow too hard, numbers would be low.

"No doubt about it, we'll be firing at every hole,'' said Fred Couples who will be partnered with his "all-time favourite'' LPGA player Nancy Lopez along with Australian senior Graham Marsh.

And Nick Price, who will team up with Kelly Robbins and Jim Colbert, offered a similar opinion.

"With two good partners you can just go out there and fire at every hole. The scores could be very low,'' predicted Price.

For team-mate Colbert, the Senior PGA Tour's player of the year the last two years, today's event will be his first since undergoing prostate cancer surgery in June.

But he has no doubt about his ability to play well.

"I know I will play OK and I have plenty of strength, but I am a little short on endurance,'' said Colbert who teamed up with Home Affairs Minister Quinton Edness, former Chief Justice Sir James Astwood, US Consul General Bob Farmer and Mid Ocean Club's Michael Dunkley in yesterday's Pro-Am.

"I'd be concerned about playing a full tournament if I had to walk every step of the way, but I should be fine tomorrow.'' Victory in yesterday's Pro-Am went to the team led by the LPGA's Kelly Robbins who carded an amazing 20-under-par net 51. "I've never seen such a bunch of sandbaggers in all my life,'' she ribbed her team-mates afterwards.

Craig Stadler, whose team included US Open tennis champion Pat Rafter, placed second on 53, beating out the Nancy Lopez team on retrogression.

CIGAR chomping senior Walter Morgan was partnered with Karrie Webb and Payne Stewart in last night's draw.

Partners and tee-off times for today's Tour Challenge at Mid Ocean Club: 8.00 a.m. Barb Mucha, Bob Murphy, Lee Janzen 8.09 Chris Johnson, Jay Sigel, Craig Stadler 8.18 Sally Little, Lee Trevino, John Cook 8.27 Karrie Webb, Walter Morgan, Payne Stewart 8.36 Michelle McGann, Gil Morgan, Scott Hoch 8.45 Annika Sorenstam, Hale Irwin, Mark Brooks 8.54 Kelly Robbins, Jim Colbert, Nick Price 9.03 Nancy Lopez, Graham Marsh, Fred Couples