the Bermuda Open for the first time since he lost a sudden-death play-off to his friend and one-time room-mate Kim Swan 14 years ago.

And he hopes that a good performance could lift him out of his golfing doldrums of recent years.

Green, 39, was in his second year on the US PGA Tour when he narrowly missed out on that 1983 tournament. He went on to better things, winning the 1985 Buick Open and 1986 International before peaking in 1988 with wins at the Canadian and Greater Milwaukee Opens. Those victories propelled him to fourth in the money list for that year and won him coveted Ryder Cup selection.

But he has never made the top ten since and although career earnings of more than $31 million and a seventh placing in last year's US Open testify to a formidable talent, by the end of 1996 he had slumped as low as 133rd in the list. This year he has yet to finish higher than 11th in any tournament.

So what has gone wrong? "It wasn't a case of easing off after doing well,'' he says. "It's been a combination of bad tee-to-green golf and a lot of mental mistakes. There was a lot of tough personal stuff and I never got my brain back.

"Once you lose confidence you can't just switch it back on again. "I feel like I'm starting all over again. I'm trying to get my game back and I've got to play as many tournaments as I can.'' Green shot a one-over par 72 at Port Royal in yesterday's Pro-Am. "I didn't play very well but it's not an easy course,'' he said.

"I don't remember it being that tight but I was more fearless back in 1983.'' Despite his shaky form, Green must be one of the favourites to take the championship, worth a total of $50,000 -- ten times what it was when he was last here.

But he'll face tough opposition from the likes of defending champion Andrew Pitts, Canadian Dan Halldorson and fellow Americans Bill Britton and Mike Donald.

"There are a lot of dog legs and you've got to work the ball from right to left. My feeling is the guy who drives it the best will do well,'' said Green.

And he backed Bermudian players to be among them. "Anyone who is not local is not going to sink a whole lot of putts. Bermuda's courses have always had tough greens which can be tricky unless you play here a lot. So if someone local can hit it half-way decent, they could have the edge. "But I'd be surprised if anyone beats eight-under.''