the first round of match play in the annual Men's Invitation tournament at Mid Ocean yesterday as he got past local Ricky Cox four and three.

But Ray Daue, who defeated Dan Siegel to earn medal honours after both had fired the low round of 80 in Monday's windy conditions, fell at the first hurdle yesterday as he lost to Gary Newell one-up.

Another early casualty was the defending senior champion and top seed Jim Hamilton who was beaten by his close friend Kirk Kitson three and two.

In other junior championship flight matches yesterday, Mid Ocean's current club champion Steve Duxbury defeated John Drew one-up while Barry Brewer advanced with a three and two win over Bo Winiker.

In the senior championship flight Bermuda's Eddie Marshall and Tom Stearns joined Kitson in the second round. Marshall and Kitson clash today while Stearns takes on Gerard Kenny.

In the junior top flight, Brewer meets Newell and Duxbury goes against Siegel.

Results, see Scoreboard.

Leading junior golfer Ryan Mello enjoyed further success overseas on the weekend when he placed second at the International Junior Golf Tour Shawnee Championship in Pennsylvania. It was Mello's third consecutive tournament in an eight week span in which he had placed among the top two.

Mello was fifth after the first day with a round of 78 but moved up with a second round of 73. Brett Ryan of Ontario won by three shots after two rounds of 74.

On the previous weekend at the IJGT Teardrop Atlantic City Challenge in New Jersey, Bermuda's Eric West placed sixth in the 13-15 age group with rounds of 81 and 76 and Sean Harlingten (79, 78) finished fourth in the 11-12 age group.