American Tom Sullivan topped the Black Seal Invitational leaderboard yesterday after an opening round in which no player broke par.

In windy, but dry conditions at the Belmont Golf Club, the 50-year-old New Englander's par 70 gave him a one-stroke lead over defending champion Paul Parajeckas, four-time winner Tim Conley and Chris Turner.

The top Bermudian in the professional tournament, former winner Dwayne Pearman, will start today's second round just two strokes off the lead after his 72.

The four-day tournament, formerly known as the Belmont Invitation, has a new format this year with the amateurs competing in a seperate stableford competition.

Four players, Malcolm Gosling, Adley Madeiros, Joe McRonald jr., Robert McRonald and Quinton Sherlock, share the lead on 42 points.

Sullivan, from Worcester, Massachusetts, finished third in last year's tournament and has often threatened to win it. His round included an eagle at the 10th and birdies at the third and fifth holes.

"I have not played a lot lately, but I'm pretty happy with the way the first day went,'' said Sullivan.

"For me, this is really a golfing vacation. And if I can keep driving as I did today, I might have a chance of doing well.'' Conley, who last played in the Belmont in 1996, the last of his four victories, got off to dream start. Teeing off at the par five 10th hole, he hit his second shot with an eight-iron to within two feet of the hole and made the putt for an eagle three.

But he said after his one-over 71: "I feel I have wasted five shots today and I can get much better.

"If I can get four or five birdies a day, I should be able to finish at 12 or 14-under. Whether that will be good enough to win, I don't know.'' Conley added: "It takes me a while to get used to these conditions -- the tight plays, the Bermuda grass and the wind.

"I've played 15 to 20 tournaments here over the years and I think this is the best shape I've seen any course in Bermuda. These greens are great and I'd like to congratulate the greenkeeper.

"It's great to come back to Bermuda -- I've got 100 friends here.'' Conley, from Gainesville, Georgia, is still recovering from the disappointment of being disqualified from the PGA Tour qualifying event for signing a wrong card.

Having played on the Nike Tour (now the buy.com Tour) during the Summer, Conley didn't make enough money to automatically qualify for next year. "I went to qualifying school and after two rounds I signed a wrong card,'' said Conley. "The worst thing about it was having to go home and tell my wife.'' Conley said the disastrous mistake had capped a bad year.

"I knew I'd shot 71 and I added it up as 71. But my playing partner had given me a four at one hole where I should have had a five. If I'd added it up correctly, it would have worked out as 70 and I'd have known straight away there was a mistake.

"I'm usually a very thorough person and it was very frustrating. It wouldn't have been so bad if I'd had a good year, but I've had a miserable year. My golf hasn't been good, my health hasn't been good and I can't wait for the Millennium to get here.'' Three-time winner Ian Doig carded a 76 on his return to the tournament after a five-year absence.

The Canadian made a birdie at the 10th, but his round was spoiled by a triple bogey at the sixth, where he drove out of bounds.

Doig admitted his game was rusty after a lack of tournament play over the last three years -- but he didn't rule himself out of contention.

"I wasn't expecting too much, but there were not many low scores so with 76 I don't think I'm out of it,'' said 38-year-old Doig, who won the event in 1984, 1985 and 1987.

"Off the top of my head I seem to remember that one of the years I won this event, I shot a 76 in one of the first two rounds. I can come back in the next three days and if I get into `the zone', anything could happen.

"It's nice to have the camaraderie and the competitiveness of a tournament again and I think that as the week goes on, I will get more focused.'' Photos by Tony Cordeiro Focused: Paul Parajeckas, chasing his third successive title at Belmont, drives yesterday during a first-round 71 which left him one stroke off the lead in the Black Seal Invitational.

Comeback Kid: Three-time winner Ian Doig in action at Belmont for the first time in five years, on his way to a first-round 76.