shot at next week's Bermuda Open title, but that's what the recently-turned pro will have his sights set on when he steps onto the tee at Port Royal.

"I would love to shoot par (284) or better, but basically the score I am aiming for is 290 or less,'' he said this week.

The tournament will mark Zelkin's first appearance in a major event since turning professional during the summer. As an amateur he competed in the Open four times.

With two-time champion Andrew Pitts of North Carolina bidding for an unprecedented hat-trick and a number of other Tour pros in the field, including former winner Mike Donald, Zelkin knows his chances of winning are slim.

But he's anxious to prove that his decision to turn pro was the right one and that he can be competitive at this level.

The 24-year-old former Amateur Strokeplay champion also believes the strong field will help him lift his game.

"The field looks good again with a couple of guys coming in from the Nike and the regular tour,'' he said. "I look forward to playing with them. I always find that when you play with better golfers you lift your own game to a higher level.

"I like playing with friends and everybody, but in tournaments of this calibre it's better for somebody like me to play with other pros. In order to shoot good scores you need that level of competition, and naturally the chance to pick up a nice pay cheque also helps your game.'' Bermuda's top player last year, Dwayne Pearman, finished on 294. And Zelkin would like to think he can better that next week.

A regular at Port Royal, he knows the course well and has enjoyed some of his best golf there, including his win in the Strokeplay as a teenager.

"At Port Royal I have done well. I have actually finished second in the Amateur for the last two years and have finished in the top five of that tournament the past four or five years. So I have played the course fairly well, it's just that one day seems to get me and hurts my overall score,'' he explained.

Zelkin, however, hasn't played in the Open for the past six years and doesn't recall placing too highly during the four times he competed as an amateur.

His main concern at the moment is inconsistency, something that surfaced during the recent New England Open when he shot a 72 and 71 on the first two days and then saw his score balloon with an 80.

"I am hitting the ball very well. The main thing I have to focus on at this stage is my putting, that's what's been my biggest problem in most tournaments lately,'' he said.

"It's important for me to concentrate on keeping my cool, and not let stupid shots bother me... just take one step at a time and take it from there. All I am looking forward to doing is keeping my cool and concentration, and trying to hit a lot of greens.'' On his decision to turn pro, Zelkin said he had reached most of his goals as an amateur and felt it was time for a change.

"I figured there wasn't much left on the Island to accomplish as an amateur, and my hopes of representing Bermuda never happened so I figured if I was going to turn pro, which was always my long-term goal, it was the way to go now.

"If I waited any longer at 24, the less chance I would have of reaching my goal of playing professionally in tournaments such as the Nike Tour, Florida Tour or eventually the PGA Tour which is the ultimate goal.''