American professional golfer Lisa Grimes mastered windy conditions at Port Royal yesterday to shoot what is believed to be the lowest-ever round recorded by a female either at the Southampton course or any other championship course in Bermuda.

Grimes put together an incredible round of eight-under-par 63 while playing in the professional tournament of the sixth annual Ladies Pro-Am Golf Classic.

Her card on the front nine included four birdies (at the first, fifth, sixth and eighth holes) offset by a single bogey on the par five seventh - her only bogey of the day - as she made the turn in three-under 33.

The 42-year-old then blazed over the back nine in five-under-par 30 with birdies at 10, 14 and 15 and an eagle three at the par-five 17th to complete a remarkable day.

Her closest rivals, Troy Beck and Liza Abood, finished 12 shots back on 75.

Grimes, from Arizona, is head pro at the Geneva Golf Club in Minnesota and had only played Port Royal on three occasions prior to yesterday's round.

With fierce cross-winds blowing as she teed off in the morning, the record round was hardly expected.

"Yes, I was kind of surprised at the end," said Grimes. "I don't play in the wind a lot and I handled it pretty good out there today."

Yesterday's was by far her best showing on the course, although last year she returned a 67 during the Pro-Am itself.

She also recalls doing well back in 1982 when she finished second in the Bermuda Amateur Strokeplay Championships.

"It was just a good day for me. I started off well, I had one three-putt out there and that was on a relatively easy par five. "I had put the ball in a left bunker kind of pin high and didn't hit a really good bunker shot and three-putted, that was my only little slip," said the 18-year professional who is married to a Canadian.

"Overall though, the strength of my game was in my driver, it was good. We played in the wind and I hit some low and high drives and also struck some good wedges when needed. It all worked out well.

"You can say that it was just my day out there today.

"Coming into this tournament I actually wasn't playing that much, just a couple of times a week. I have been teaching a few kids and getting out there only a few times.

"I certainly haven't mastered this course, not at all. I haven't played at any other course since coming here, maybe I'll get the chance to play on them during the next visit."

The Pro-Am continues with the final round today.