prominence in golf last year will carry him in the Ashworth Bermuda BGA Championship tournament which gets underway at Mid Ocean today.

Defending champion Dwayne Pearman yesterday admitted that Swan, who finished four strokes behind him a year ago, and 1992 winner Keith Smith will probably be his main challengers, but warned that any one of the other golfers from the prominent field were capable of winning the four-round event.

"The two may well appear to be the ones to give the stiffest opposition going into the tournament, but you really cannot tell,'' said Pearman yesterday.

"It's a very good field once again with a lot of good golfers and I expect things to be awfully close.'' Swan, however, was not about to take victory for granted.

Swan rounded off a fine year in 1993 with scintillating performances in the Belmont Invitation where he finished just one stroke behind winner Tim Conley.

And he finished fourth in the Bermuda Open after making a strong challenge until the final round. His overall showing for the year makes him a solid favourite going into the tournament.

The year also saw him active on the golfing scene abroad where he participated in several tournaments in Canada and the United States.

But the St. George's professional is not about to pencil himself in as the eventual winner at this stage, pointing out that his temporary administrative position at Ocean View has side-tracked him somewhat.

"The temporary appointment as acting-manager at Ocean View is a little setback to my game because I have been forced to concentrate now on something other than playing,'' said Swan.

"Unfortunately my main focus has been on business. My game until a few months ago was quite good, but after taking off three weeks for the Christmas break and now taking on the new job it's hard to tell where my game is.'' Swan is not too concerned about local tournaments these days and makes it no secret that his intention is to qualify for the Nike Tour this year. He admits to be fully aware that there are 15 spots open each week which makes qualifying all the more manageable.

He believes that for somebody with ambitions like his, playing in local tournaments among a small field of professional golfers does no real help to his overall game.

"In order to make these big tournaments a person like myself has to play among more fierce competition and this is why I hope to participate in as many tournaments abroad as possible,'' said Swan.

"My first main tournament overseas is next month when I play in the Trinidad and Tobago Open, something I plan to use as a stepping stone to bigger tournaments and eventually the Nike Tour,'' he added.

Still Swan can at least gauge some aspects of his game by participating in the Ashworth, which will include such well-known local players as defending champion Pearman, Cornell Bean, Smith and Kevin Benevides.

Pearman was the winner a year ago with a four-round score of 284 followed by Swan (286), Steven DeCosta (294), Eardley Jones (295), Benevides (301) and Bean (307).

The first Medal Play golf tournament of the new year will take place at Belmont on Saturday with participants asked to telephone their entries to secretary Tom Smith at 238-1367 before 6 p.m. today.

The handicap limits are 10 for men and 15 for women and only paid-up members are eligible to play.

KIM SWAN -- "I hope to participate in as many tournaments abroad as possible.''