The Bermuda Open is a great golf tournament ? but it could be so much better.

That is the view of triple winner P.H. Horgan, who picked up a cheque for $5,500 with a three-shot victory on Sunday, and is a man who wants to defend his crown next year against a stronger field attracted by a bigger purse.

?I love this competition and I am going to come back again next year to defend the title but a lot of people aren?t coming because of the size of the purse,? said Horgan, who will clear around $3,000 after expenses for his win last weekend in the windiest conditions he had ever experienced.

?Everything is in place here; there is a wonderful course, great people organising it, a beautiful Island but the purse doesn?t really match up to the tournament.

?No offence to those who are already backing it, but it would be great if one of those nice big companies in town would come forward and put up some big money to try and bring in the strongest possible field.

?The current purse seems to be mostly generated from the $375 entry fees but you would think on an Island like this somebody would be able to come up with the big bucks.?

Horgan, a Bermuda stalwart who has won $80,000 first prizes on the Nationwide Tour and who launched an injury-wracked PGA Tour career after his 1986 victory, is keen not to be seen to be ?putting down? the tournament but is steadfast in his views that the Bermuda Open could ?really be something special?.

?Golfing in Bermuda is spectacular so you would think they can do more with the Bermuda Open and really bring in a top-class field,? said Horgan, who thinks that something along the lines of the former Gillette Challenge or the Merrill-Lynch Shoot-Out should be the standard organisers should be striving for.

?I would come here for a $5,000 or $500,000 prize but I don?t think others would. There are other tournaments that clash and the size of the purse keeps a lot of people away.

?It is not a cheap place to get to or to stay in so unless you win it, most people are going to struggle to break even let alone come away with anything.?

And Horgan thinks the Island should try and make the most of the Nick Faldo connection ? if the golfing great would be willing to help.

?He could be a great ambassador for golf here,? said Horgan, who has played practice holes with the former Masters and British Open champion at the Byron Nelson Classic.

?If he brings a few of his friends down you could get a really great core of players here. That would attract sponsorship and other players and could do wonders for golf in Bermuda.

?I really think something serious needs to be done because, like I said, this is a great place for golfing and is a great tournament ? but with a bigger purse it could really be something even more special.?

And Horgan, who described his accommodation at Pompano Beach as ?unbelievable? and believes the hotel should come forward and try and host or sponsor the event, added that he was thinking about moving to Bermuda sometime in the future.

?I think I will need to win a few more Bermuda Opens and a few other tournaments to be able to afford it, but I would love to settle here,? he added.

?This is one of my favourite places to golf. It really is a truly special place.?