Torrential rain washed out Bermuda?s hopes of moving up the leaderboard on the final day of the Men?s World Amateur Team Golf Championships in Puerto Rico yesterday.

Organisers, forced to cancel the final round with both the Ocean and the River courses at the Rio Mar Country Club under water, determined that the championships would be decided by total scores after Saturday?s third round.

That left Bermuda?s young team of Fraser Hunt, Eric West and Jarryd Dillas in a tie for 34th place with Norway and Chinese Taipei ? just outside the top half and in one of the highest places an Island team have finished at the bi-ennial tournament.

USA, with a 54-hole total of 25-under-par 407 ran away with victory, leaving second-placed Spain nine shots in their wake and third-placed Sweden 10 shots back.

But on two tough courses, both measuring close to 7,000 yards, Bermuda?s 12-over-par total of 444 remained highly creditable in a field which boasted 66 countries and included many of the world?s top amateurs.

Among the teams that finished below Bermuda were all of the Caribbean countries, including hosts Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, Trinidad and Tobago, Barbados, Cayman, Bahamas and US Virgin Islands.

The likes of Brazil, Colombia, Russia, Venezuela and Zimbabwe also finished in the bottom half.

Bermuda had got off to a flying start last Thursday when 20-year-old Rhode Island University student Hunt returned a superb three-under-par 69 on the River course which combined with Dillas? 74 left the team in a tie for 16th at one-under.

But they slipped back to 30th on Friday when, at the Ocean course, Hunt could manage only a 77, leaving Dillas (74) and West (76) to contribute to a second round total of six-over-par 150. Only two scores counted each day.

On Saturday, back at the River lay-out, the Island trio failed to make up any ground as Dillas fired 75, West 76 and Hunt 79.

After the three rounds, 19-year-old Dillas proved Bermuda?s most consistent player, his rounds of 74-74-75 adding up to seven-over par total of 223. Hunt (69-77-79) finished at nine-over par 225 and West (81-76-76) at 17-over par 233.