Bermuda Open golf championships at Port Royal yesterday.

But at the end of a windswept first round in which no-one managed to break par, it was still very much a wide open affair with just three shots separating the top 17 players, among them Bermuda's own Dwayne Pearman.

Adam Armagast from the Ibis Golf Club in West Palm Beach, Florida, went out in the first trio of the day at 7.40 a.m. and returned four hours later with an even par 71 to set the early pace.

As it turned out, nobody could better that score and only Gene Fieger from the Overbrook GC in Pennsylvania, who won this event in 1992, could equal it. Just one stroke back on 72 are James Becker from Millbrook GC in Connecticut and Rick Price from Medinah GC in Pennsylvania.

Then bunched on 73 are five players including defending champion Jeff Lewis and the man everybody is tipping to win, PGA Tour professional John Mahaffey.

Texan Mahaffey, who described his round as "so-so'', played in a group which included Jonathan Marks, an English one-handicapper who highlighted his round with a hole-in-one on the par three eighth on his way to a score of 77.

Mahaffey, playing Port Royal for only the second time, said: "I didn't play as well as I should have from tee to green, and I missed some putts I should have made, but altogether I'm not totally disappointed.'' Having taken part in Wednesday's Pro-Am, he added: "Today was certainly more difficult with the wind blowing. It made club selection very hard.

"I made three bogeys on the back nine, all from par saving areas, where I should have done better.

"But I do like the course. It requires a lot of different shots. It's certainly not boring.'' Asked whether he felt any pressure as the hot favourite, Mahaffey replied: "I'm really in Bermuda to have a good time, and I'm doing just that. No, I'm not feeling any added pressure. Maybe I should be a little more intense.'' Among those also in contention are Pearman, the Ocean View pro, who fired 74 yesterday, one stroke better than St. George's pro Kim Swan and top local amateur Arthur Jones.

Local veterans Eardley Jones and Frankie Rabain, the host course pro, both put themselves in the frame with rounds of 76.

Two other former champions Tim Conley and Bob Mucha both opened with scores of 75.

Full scores -- Page 14 JOHN MAHAFFEY -- opened with a two-over 73. "I'm just here to have a good time,'' said the PGA Tour pro who has career earnings of $4 million.