American PJ Cowan took advantage of the absence of several of his closest rivals at PGA Tour school qualifying to post a four shot lead in the first round of the Bermuda Open at Port Royal yesterday.

But Cowan, third last year, and a loser in a three-way play-off in 1997, was taking nothing for granted after a round in which he clocked up five birdies and one bogey for a four-under 67.

"I don't take notice of it until Sunday,'' he said. "Obviously it's a nice little cushion, but somebody will shoot low tomorrow. Today it happened to be me.'' Cowan is probably right to be cautious. Last year, Andrew Pitts came from seven shots down over the last two days to overhaul Cowan and Dutchman Chris Van der Velde.

Pitts, winner for the last three years, and Van der Velde are absent this year as they're playing in the first stage of the PGA Tour qualifying school. Cowan is exempt until the second stage as a winner on the Nike Tour in 1996.

His nearest challengers yesterday were fellow Nike Tour pro Joe Daley and senior Bob Walton, who both carded level par 71s. Mark Dupuy, one of the top amateurs in Bermuda, was one stroke behind with pro Shaun Sullivan, while Belmont pro Cornell Bean fired a 73, along with Ed Kirby.

Former Ryder Cup player Ken Green, a five-time PGA Tour winner, carded 75, one stroke behind four men on 74. Meanwhile, local favourite Dwayne Pearman struggled to a 76 and was in no mood to talk afterwards. Pearman, like Cowan, had arrived in Bermuda from the Azores Open but the Ocean View pro has been afflicted with a rib injury in recent days and didn't even play during his trip to the Portuguese island.

Cowan finished third in that competition, shooting four over when level par brought a victory.

Cowan said courses like Port Royal brought out the best in him.

"Normally I play well on courses like this where something like two under par wins because I hit my drives straight and low,'' he said. "Often on the PGA and the Nike Tour you're getting scores of 18-under: I don't like courses like that. I like good, tough golf courses.'' Cowan was paired with another local -- Port Royal's pro Frankie Rabain. And he suggested that his company was at least partly responsible for his successful outing.

"I like playing with Frankie,'' said Cowan. "I find I play well when I've got good company. I must be about 15-under in the times that I've played with him.'' Cowan got off to a confident start, birdieing four of the front nine -- the first, fifth, the par-five seventh and number nine. On the 12th he made bogey before retrieving that stroke with a birdie on 17.

Another regular visitor to the Bermuda Open, Craig Marseilles, had to withdraw before the start after falling off a rented motorcycle on Wednesday when a dog ran out in front of him.

Initially it was feared he had broken a leg, but the injury turned out to be no more severe than a damaged knee.

A doctor ordered him to rest it for three or four days but Marseilles was keen to compete. However, in the end he succumbed to doctor's orders and dropped out of the tournament.

Early leader: American PJ Cowan lines up a putt on his way to a four-under-par 67 in the opening round of the Bermuda Open yesterday.