Self-confessed couch potato Bill King might have been lost without his TV remote control this week.

Instead, it focussed his mind on more intellectual pursuits and it paid off handsomely yesterday as he became the only player to break par at a windy Port Royal to win the Bermuda Goodwill Professional Championships for the first time in seven attempts.

The pro from Spring Lake Country Club, New Jersey, whose best previous showing at the tournament was a third, shot a three under 68 at the Southampton course.

He explained afterwards: "We've been staying over at the Coral Beach club and we've got no TV there, so I've read two books this week.

"One was Jack Nicklaus: My Story and the other was The Christmas Box which was a book my wife suggested I read.

"Nicklaus's book is all about his major championships: how to think the golf course, how to play the golf course -- and I put it into effect today.

King, who has played seven tournaments in his native state this year, added: "The Christmas Box is about a guy who works too much and doesn't get to enjoy his family. It hit home.

"Now that the season is winding down at home -- we get two months off in the winter-- I'll get to spend more time with them.

"Between the two books, they put a new attitude in my golf game.

"I focussed a lot better. I thought about every hole last night before I went to bed.'' King went out in par 36, a bogey on the sixth offset by a birdie on the following hole, but it was on the back nine that he really showed his mettle, dropping successive birdies on the 12th, 13th and 14th for the first prize of $3,200 - a nice Christmas box to take back home.

"I made good saves on the eighth and ninth, where I missed the green, but on the back nine I think I only missed one green,'' he said.

"And I got the ball on the green on 16 with that ferocious wind blowing out there -- I was very pleased with that -- and then I made a good two putt on number 18 with a lot of mud on the ball.

"I was nervous, but it's nice to get that nervous and know that you're in the hunt. You know that if you shoot under 70 here you've got a real good chance of winning.'' However King, one of the first to finish, had a long wait to see if anyone was going to come up with something better than his 68.

As he sat anxiously on the clubhouse steps watching the finishers on the adjacent ninth and 18th greens, he admitted: "You know there's still about 10 guys out there who are capable of bettering my score.'' To his relief, though, no one did. Those that came closest -- Kevin Morris, Kirk Hanefield, Ted Goin and Rick Osberg -- finished three shots off the pace on level par 71.

For Morris it was a double Bermuda blow: he came in second at last week's Belmont Invitational.

Kim Swan, meanwhile, kept the flag flying for Bermuda, the St George's pro's 72 earning him a share of the spoils -- $650 to be exact. Belmont's Cornell Bean earned $412 as he tied with four others a further shot back and Ocean View's Dwayne Pearman recorded a five-over 76 to pick up $250.

But it was a tough day for Kevin Benevides, of Castle Harbour, and Port Royal's own Francis Rabain, who both carded 13-over 84s.

Joe Carr, of Bedrock Golf Club in Rutland, Massachusetts, was the leading senior, his round of 72 earning him the top prize of $1,900.

KING OF THE HILL -- John King made his way off the couch and into the winners circle at the Goodwill Pro Championships yesterday.