one-stroke lead in the Bermuda Open yesterday.

But he looks set to be pushed every inch of the way in his bid to carry off the $12,000 first prize at Port Royal on Sunday, after the Nike Tour's PJ Cowan, beaten here in a three-way play-off last year, also carded 68 to leave him on 137 for two rounds.

And further trouble could come from former winner Tim Balmer, who added a 69 to his first round 70 to remain very much in contention, with Bermuda's Dwayne Pearman, champion in 1988, also unable to be discounted as he followed up a superb round of two-under on Thursday, when he hit 13 greens, with a 72 to leave him five shots off the pace.

Others still in with a chance are Ed Kirby, a regular visitor to the tournament, who was level with Pearman on 141 after shooting 70 yesterday.

They were both a stroke behind Darrell Kestner, who had a disappointing 72 yesterday, and the consistent Paul Jaycox, who carded 70 for the second successive day to be two under at 140.

But it was Cowan who was taking most of the plaudits yesterday. The 30-year-old American, from Stuart, Florida, picked up four birdies on the first, 10th, 12th and 13th, but felt he could have had a few more.

"I thought my round today was the best I've had in Bermuda,'' he said. "I didn't miss a green and a few putts that could have gone down didn't so a possible 63 became a 68.

"But that happens the whole time in golf. When they don't go down you get a nice little three-under which keeps you in contention.'' Cowan, a winner at the Bahamas Open and New York State Open, added: "I just love this place. The course is nice and it makes you relax. Losing in the play-off like I did last year always makes you want to go one better.'' His suggestion that he could have compiled an even better round was supported by playing partner Duncan Zelkin.

The Bermudian pro, who carded another 73 to leave him on 146, said: "He's the one to watch. He played really well and could even have been four shots better off if a few more had dropped.'' Zelkin, playing his first tournament on the Island since turning pro, was an altogether happier man yesterday, although his score didn't reflect it.

On Thursday, he admitted, he'd been struggling off the tee, hitting the ball too far right, but a session on the driving range after the first round ironed out that problem.

"I played a lot better today,'' he said. "But I should have been under par.

I had one three-putt on the fifth for a bogey and got into trouble on the 17th. But I hit the ball well and putted well.

"My goal at the start was to shoot under 290 for the tournament; I think my best as an amateur was 297, so it shouldn't be too hard to just stick in there and grind my way through. I'd like to finish in the top ten.'' Van der Velde, meanwhile, had an almost identical round to his first, carding four birdies and a bogey. He repeated Thursday's birdies at the seventh and 17th and grabbed others at the 10th and 13th, while he bogeyed at 16.

Kestner, who had shared the first round lead with the Dutchman, managed just one birdie yesterday -- at the 10th -- while a double bogey at the par five 17th left him one-over for the day.

Balmer's round of 69 was a model of inconsistency as five birdies -- at the second, fifth, tenth, 13th and 15th -- were offset by bogeys on the fourth, ninth and 11th.

Reigning champion Andrew Pitts will need to find some improved form if he's to complete a hat-trick of wins after a level par 71 left him at 143 for the tournament.

That put him a shot behind the top amateur, Dirk Fennie, who shot a 73 yesterday after his stunning 69 on Thursday.

Fennie had a four shot lead over the next amateur, Barry Soicher, a 34-year-old from San Francisco playing in his second Bermuda Open.

Soicher felt he should have carded better than the 74 he added to his first round 72. But the business technologist, who happily competes not for money but for the thrill of seeing his name on a trophy or in print -- "the ink and hardware'' as he puts it -- was hoping he could make up those four shots on his rival.

But he agreed the top players had a little more psychological steadiness which marked them out.

"If I'm four under with several holes to go I'm worried about not giving those strokes back. But with someone like PJ Cowan, he's chomping at the bit to make it into a 63 or 64.'' Photos by Arthur Bean VAN DRIVER -- Holland's Chris Van der Velde continued his fine form, carding a second successive round of 68 to take a one-stroke lead in the Bermuda Open.

SETTING HIS SIGHTS -- Bermudian pro Dwayne Pearman lines up a putt on his way to a second round 72 at Port Royal yesterday.