Overseas professionals Tim Conley and Susan Bond will battle it out alongside a host of local professionals at the inaugural Barcardi Par 3 National Championship this weekend, starting on Friday.

The tournament, which takes place at the Fairmont Southampton, will also feature the likes of Dwayne Pearman and Scott Roy.

Match Play finalists Nick Mansell and Jarryd Dillas, the winner, are expected to battle it out in the amateur competition. Whatever a player's classification, however, no-one is going to find life easy at the Fairmont Southampton course, especially after the changes made by Director of Golf Anthony Mocklow.

If the water holes at three, six and 17 were tough before, then the sculpting that has taken place on the greens has made them doubly so.

Before the changes, there was sufficient rough on the slope running down to the water from the green that an errant shot had a fair chance of stopping short of trouble. Not any more.

The grass has now been cut to fairway length, which means anything short at three is in the water, similarly miss right at six, or left at 17, and a similar fate awaits.

Mocklow plans on making things 'interesting', or evil, depending on your point of view.

"The course looks immaculate," said Mocklow. "And several holes have some new and interesting characteristics with rebuilt tees and even some cheeky changes to several of the holes that will challenge the most seasoned golfer.

"Many golfers in Bermuda may think this course is easy, but there's no room for error and that's if you are concentrating. Participants in this year's upcoming Bacardi National Par-3 Championship are in for a great couple of days."

The tournament has attracted sponsorship from local companies Rayclan Chevrolet and M3 Wireless as well as HSBC Bank of Bermuda.

n Meanwhile, almost 200 golfers are competing this week in the highly popular Ross (Blackie) Talbot at Riddell's Bay.

The tournament, which over the years has raised millions of dollars for local charities, started yesterday and continues until tomorrow under different formats – Stapleford and Captain's Choice with numerous other prizes up for grabs.