Mutal Risk Management-Exel Insurance Ltd Pro-Am at Port Royal.

But the real competition won't start until tomorrow when a field of 117 takes part in the 72-hole Bermuda Open, also sponsored by the same companies.

Defending champion Ronald McDougal, who won last year by a comfortable seven shots, can expect a tough four days of golf as he bids to hang on to the crown he won last year at the first attempt.

There are no less than eight past winners competing in the Open, seven from overseas including New Yorker McDougal and four local. The new sponsors have offered an attractive purse of $35,000 for the tournament which includes today's Pro-Am.

A record 48 visiting professionals and nine local pros will be seeking the $8,600 first place prize. The main contenders should include Americans Bob Mucha and Tim Balmer, the 1989 and '90 winners. Another visitor to watch is Tim Conley who won in 1987.

Balmer, in his bid to defend his title last year, finished runner up to McDougal and will have to be watched closely again.

There are many overseas professionals of unknown quality in the field who can make the same sort of impact McDougal made last year.

Kim Swan and Dwayne Pearman, both past winners, will carry Bermuda's hopes amongst the professionals. Pearman, a winner in 1988, was fourth last year while Swan recently won the inaugural Johnnie Walker White Label Classic at Ocean View.

Amongst the amateurs there is Briton Jonathan Marks, a fomrer winer of the Bermuda Amateur Stroke Play, Peter Lesley, a one handicapper from Pennsylvania, Sammy Levinson of Kentucky, Scott Randolph from the Chateau Elan Club and Percy Vince from Ireland.

The other local professionals are past champions Frankie Rabain and Eardley Jones, Lloyd James, Rawn Rabain and Cornell Bean, while the local amateur list includes Clyde Burgess, Jack Wahl, Eldon Raynor and promising junior Chris Garland.