Bermuda's performance at the recent Men's World Amateur Team Golf Championships (WATC) augurs well for the future when countries will have to qualify for that event.

Complimenting the young trio of Jarryd Dillas, Fraser Hunt and Eric West, president of Bermuda Golf Association (BGA), Bob Legere, noted their three-way tie for 34th place among 66 nations last week in Puerto Rico was a sign that the Island's golf future was in capable hands.

"Their performance was tremendous. If you look at our zone ? Bermuda being part of the Americas ? we finished sixth among all Americas countries which totalled 38 of the participating countries in the tournament," said Legere.

"The (regional) teams that beat us are the major competitors ? the USA, Canada, Mexico, Chile and Argentina. They are the top grade so when you look at the zone situation our young team did a great job."

"The IGF (the International Golf Federation) is restructuring the WATC and we will have to qualify in the future to get into it. If there was a qualifier this year we would have made it because the Americas will be allowed to enter ten teams and we were sixth," added Legere who accompanied the players as coach/delegate.

"It shows the strength that we have in one of the harder IGF divisions so I am very pleased."

The golf chief lamented the fact that the final round last Sunday was washed out by torrential rain, contending the Island had an excellent chance of gaining a few places. However, Bermuda had to be content with 12-over-par 444 from 54 holes.

"I think they would have moved up. We had made it to the ninth hole when play was suspended in the final round. At that point, Fraser was even par while Jarryd and Eric were both two-over so it looked like we were going to come in with a good round. We more than likely would have moved two or three spots," reasoned Legere.

He noted that, in golf, "you're entitled to relief from casual water" but that "it was almost impossible to find anywhere on the course where there was not casual water, including the greens and the bunkers".

Assessing the individual performances of each player, Legere hailed the opening round of three-under-par 69 by Fraser Hunt as "outstanding", citing the latter's putting skill as a fine weapon in his arsenal.

"Whenever you're in the opening round of a competition you're still feeling out the golf course. Fraser, at one stage, was four-under but he had a bogey coming in. That course ? the Ocean course ? was a very difficult design and the greens were very tricky.

"Fraser is a very good putter and that's why I think he did so well on the tricky greens. He has a good knack for reading greens and putting well."

The BGA president noted that while Dillas and West acquitted themselves well, they suffered from being power players who hit the ball very high and their games were not suited to the conditions.

"When you have very windy, rainy conditions that type of play is going to be affected more. The conditions at the course were not favourable to their games although they played extremely well.

"When you have wet fairways and you play the ball high it doesn't roll when it hits the ground. It kind of sticks. Those characteristics worked against Jarryd and Eric," he said.

Legere added that the performance of the men and the ladies ? who competed in the equivalent women's tournament a week earlier ? was testimony to the success of Bermuda's junior golf programme. Exposure at these international events will increase their maturity and ability to think through rounds of golf, he said.

South Africa host the next edition of the biennial championships in 2006 followed by Australia in 2008.