Jarryd Dillas and Tariqah Walikraam will begin the defence of their titles in the Bermuda Match Play Championships today at Mid Ocean Club.

The 2016 winners opted out of yesterday’s strokeplay medal round but will be the top seeds and the ones to beat, as rivals aim to reach the finals on Saturday.

Dillas won his fifth matchplay title with a convincing 5 and 4 win over Mark Phillips last year while there was a shock in the women’s final where Ebonie Burgess, bidding for a hat-trick of titles, was beaten by one hole by Walikraam. Burgess is not competing this year.

Spencer Wideman won last year’s consolation final, beating Jamie Macmillan 5 and 4, while Gray Yancey is the senior men’s defending champion after beating Terry Mullan 6 and 4.

Yesterday, Wideman had the low round in the men’s championship, shooting a four-over-par 75 to finish two strokes ahead of Arthur Jones and Robert Vallis on 77.

In the women’s event, Anne O’Neill carded an 85 for the low round, while Katrin Burnie shot an 87 and Linda Down 88. Top men’s senior qualifier was Tom Eberhard with an 82, a stroke ahead of Lynn Shackelford and Yancey, while former cricketer Gary Brangman was a further stroke back on 84.