Outdoor squash will be played in Bermuda within the next two years.

The biggest deal in the sport?s history will see the Island hosting the Professional Squash Association Masters in 2005 and 2006, followed by the World Open in 2007.

And a beach or a fort setting will provide the backdrop for an all-glass outdoor court as early as 2006 to ?showcase this picturesque and beautiful Island?, tournament organisers told a press conference yesterday.

Tournament director Ross Triffitt put pen to paper on the $410,000 deal in Qatar last weekend, where the Masters ? the second biggest event on the squash calendar ? has been held for the past three years.

But the ambitious Triffitt, along with tournament chairman Kim Carter, persuaded the PSA to break with tradition and allow Bermuda to put in two vital conditions, the first ensuring the deal was for only two years to allow the World Open to be held here in 2007, and the second to allow a wildcard entry ? to once again give the Island?s top pro a chance to mix it with the big boys.

Agreements over the new three-year deal followed hot on the heels of the success of this year?s Bermuda Open, a $55,000 event, with tournament officials sitting down with the world governing body within hours of the March final.

But the new tournament, to be staged next year in the first week of April, is a significant step-up in the tournament hierarchy and is an event open only to the top 32 players in the world ? plus the additional wildcard that could see pros Nick Kyme or James Stout offered a chance to compete in the $120,000 tournament.

?In our negotiations with the PSA we wanted to ensure that we could take the event only for two years to allow us to fulfil our dream of hosting the World Open in 2007 but we were also insistent that we be allowed a wildcard to allow a Bermudian the opportunity to compete,? said Triffitt, himself a former pro.

?We are grateful to the PSA for allowing us to break with the normal Masters conditions to allow this to happen.?

Triffitt revealed that due to the increased number of players for 2005 ? this year?s event had only 16 players in the main draw ? the tournament would be split over two venues, possibly using the court at Bermuda High School once again and court number two at the BSRA?s headquarters in Devonshire.

But in 2006, the squash will move outdoors ? as it has done in the past beneath the pyramids in Egypt ? although the venue has not yet been confirmed.

?At the moment we are looking at a beach or a fort setting, but it is far too early to go into details,? continued Triffitt. ?But the aim is to select a venue which best highlights Bermuda?s beauty. We are looking into positioning the court somewhere where the backdrop is the sea, which would mean images of the Island being broadcast around the world.?