four years, and the evergreen Joe Carr bids for his fifth straight senior victory when the annual Belmont Invitation tees off on Monday.

The popular 72-hole tournament, offering a $20,000 purse, sees 35 professionals in a capacity field of 120.

But the focus will be firmly on Conley, who won this tournament last year and in 1991.

The Georgia pro, who lost his PGA card last year and spent much of this season on the Nike Tour, could manage only a tie for fifth in last month's Bermuda Open at Port Royal, but, a regular visitor, he often saves his best for Belmont.

His strongest challenge in the junior division this year could come from Canadian Ian Doig who lifted the last of his Belmont titles back in 1987, top local Dwayne Pearman who won in 1992, resident pro Cornell Bean and two familiar American faces, Fran Marrello and Paul Parajeckas.

However, amateur Scott Mayne, winner of this year's Bermuda Match Play championship and a member of the Island's Eisenhower Cup team in France last month could have a major say in the outcome.

Mayne knows Belmont like the back of his hand, has been seen practising on the course in earnest lately, and would dearly love to repeat the victory he claimed in this event in 1986.

Much improved cricketer-turned-golfer Barry DeCouto is another who could challenge as well as Dave Purcell, who DeCouto partnered to victory in this month's Bermuda Four Ball championship, and Scotland's two handicapper Ronnie Milton.

Among the seniors, New England's Joe Carr has won ever since the division was introduced back in 1990, and will be hard to beat again.

Visiting pros John Scheffler and Charlie Moore along with local pros Eardley Jones and Lloyd James might pose his biggest threat. While the bulk of the prize-money will go to the junior pros, seniors placing in the top five overall this year will be paid bonus cash, according to tournament director Keith Cassidy.

Sponsored by Goslings-Amstel, the tournament runs from Monday through Thursday but a junior fund-raiser will be played tomorrow and a Pro-Am, offering a purse of $1,000, on Sunday.

CHAMPIONS -- Tim Conley (left) and Joe Carr will be defending their respective junior and senior titles when the 22nd annual Belmont Invitation golf tournament gets underway on Monday.