Bermuda's most prestigious golf tournament, the Bermuda Open, could be without both its defending champion and the Island's leading player when it tees off at Port Royal tomorrow.

Organisers have heard nothing from North Carolinan Andrew Pitts, who last year completed an historic hat-trick by becoming the first player ever to lift the title three years in a row, and it now appears highly unlikely he will be in the field.

And also missing could be Ocean View pro Dwayne Pearman who is due to arrive back from the Azores today after reportedly suffering a rib injury while competing in the Azores Open this week.

Bermuda Golf Association secretary Tom Smith noted that Pitts had indicated back in July that he would return. But since then he has failed to contact the BGA and efforts to track the 32-year-old down have been unsuccessful.

"His telephone is out of order so we haven't been able to get hold of him,'' said Smith. "I'd be very surprised if he turned up at the last moment without letting us know.'' The extent of Pearman's injury wasn't known last night.

However, he had been looking forward to competing in the Open as a final tune-up in his effort to earn his PGA Tour card at qualifying school in a few weeks' time.

A full field of 72 has signed up for the four-day Open, the majority -- 48 -- from overseas.

And should both Pitts and Pearman be missing, it could be a wide open contest.

Among the best known names in the field are Tour pros Ken Green -- the former college room-mate of St. George's pro Kim Swan -- and Mike Donald, both of whom have played in Bermuda previously.

Green, a member of the USA's 1989 Ryder Cup team and once described by Johnny Miller as the best fairwood player in the game, has won five times on the Tour, his last victory being the 1989 Greater Greensboro Open, although three years ago he did finish seventh in the US Open.

Donald is best remembered for losing a sudden-death play-off with Hale Irwin in the 1990 US Open.

Other contenders from overseas this week could be Nike Tour players Joe Daley and P.J.Cowan as well as regular visitor Craig Marseille.

The tournament carries a purse of $50,000 but the winner will no longer earn entry to the Gene Sarazen World Open which has now been scrapped from the PGA calendar.

Andrew Pitts: The three-time Bermuda Open winner isn't expected back this year.