Dutchman Chris Van der Velde fired a three-under par 68 at Port Royal yesterday to serve notice that he intends making up for his Bermuda Open disappointment last year.

His score, almost immediately equalled by American Darrell Kestner, gave the pair a one stroke lead over PJ Cowan, Bill Britton, Bermuda's Dwayne Pearman and amateur Dirk Fennie after the first round, while Andrew Pitts, winner for the last two years, carded a disappointing 72.

Duncan Zelkin, the Bermudian hoping to make his mark in his first home tournament since turning pro, finished with a 73.

Van der Velde's experience of 12 months ago will have alerted him not to be taking anything for granted, however.

Then, after three rounds of consistent golf had put him in the lead going into the final day, the 34-year-old left a 90 foot putt an inch short on Port Royal's 18th hole -- an inch that cost him a place in the resulting play-off which Pitts won over PJ Cowan and Kestner.

"I didn't play well on the last day last year,'' he admitted yesterday. "But I played pretty well on the first three days so I'm coming back to redeem myself.'' He's well on the way to that goal. And but for a horrendous mistake on the third when he missed a tap-in from six inches, Van der Velde, who has struggled on the PGA European Tour this year after winning at Qualifying School, might have been out in front on his own.

"I was still on the move after a 15-foot putt and as I came up to the ball I kind of slipped and missed to make four,'' he said. "I was trying to work out when I did anything like that last -- and I think it can't be for about seven years.

"But I struck the ball fantastic today. I hit seven greens on the back nine -- the first nine for me -- and hit 16 in all.

"I had really good ball control and my putting was good -- I had a 35-footer on the seventh for a birdie.'' That was one of three birdies Van der Velde had on his back nine -- the others were at the first and ninth -- while a birdie at the 17th was cancelled out by a bogey on the next hole.

Kestner, also starting from the tenth, repeated Van der Velde's birdies on the first, seventh and 17th, grabbed one to himself at the 14th and suffered a bogey on the eighth.

Nike Tour competitor Cowan, meanwhile, had a topsy-turvy front nine, birdieing the second, eighth and ninth, but bogeying the fourth and seventh. His back nine was more consistent, as he hit par on all but the 13th, which he birdied.

Pitts, looking for a third successive triumph in Bermuda, looked troubled after his own one-over-par effort on a windless day, but was possibly taking comfort from his memory of 1997, when he followed his first round 75 with a 68 on the Friday.

"I got off to a good start and was two under after three but I didn't give myself a lot of birdie opportunities,'' he said. "Most of my putts were from about 15-18 yards. I three-putted on eight and missed an up-and-down on the 11th.

"You don't do stuff like that when you're playing well.

"But it's not a lot to make up. Nine good holes and you're right back in the tournament. Actually, if you have three good holes on the first five you're in with a chance.

"And the course is in easily the best shape it's been in for the last three years. The fairways are much better, the rough stops the ball from running out of play and the greens are slower.'' Full first round scores -- see Scoreboard.

MIKE DONALD -- The former Bermuda Open winner carded a 73 yesterday. Donald is best remembered for the 1990 US Open when he tied with Hale Irwin in an 18-hole play-off before losing on the first hole of sudden-death.

Photos by Tony Cordeiro DUNCAN ZELKIN -- The young Bermudian opened with a two-over-par 73 in his first tournament since turning professional.