What will it take to win next week's Gillette Tour Challenge Championship? -- five under par? eight under? 10 under? How about 15-under? Long-time Mid Ocean Club members who, not without good reason, believe their beloved course to be the toughest Bermuda has to offer, might choke on their gin and tonic at the very suggestion.

But top PGA Tour pro Craig Stadler says he won't be surprised if such numbers are posted on the leaderboard come the final hole of next Tuesday's inaugural three-tour golf tournament.

With 24 of the world's top professionals -- eight each from the PGA, LPGA and Senior PGA Tours -- converging on the Tucker's Town course, chasing a $1.8 million purse, Stadler believes Mid Ocean could be brought to its knees.

And having played there for the past three years, culminating with victory in last October's Merrill Lynch Shoot-out, the Californian `walrus' speaks with some authority.

"Of course, it all depends on the wind,'' said Stadler in a telephone conference call yesterday, shortly after firing a 69 in the opening round of the Buick Challenge. "If the wind blows, I think nine, 10 or 11 under par should win. But if it's a calm day, I would think probably 14 or 15 under.

"There's no reason why you shouldn't birdie almost every hole under the better ball format. You've got three of the best in the game going at it at every hole, and with the seniors using slightly forward tees, they're going to be reaching the par fives in two with relative ease.

"If the wind blows it's a completely different and more difficult course. But the fact is when you're playing threesomes best ball, you're not going to lay up. You're just going to take a driver every hole and let rip. Let's face it, this is a very strong field with 24 of the very best players. The numbers are going to be low.'' Forty-four-year-old Stadler says he has played at one time or another with all of the eight Senior golfers competing in the Challenge, but none of the eight LPGA players. Yet he attaches little significance to next Monday night's draw which will determine who partners who.

"It's going to be interesting, but in this field it really makes no difference who you get. There's not going to be a weak team, that's for sure.

"You just hope to get paired with somebody with a hot hand. ..it could be you, it could be anybody.'' Veteran Australian Graham Marsh, winner of back-to-back events on the Senior Tour this year, including the US Senior Open, agreed with his long-time friend.

"To be honest, I'd love to be paired with Stad,'' he laughed. "We go back a long way. We'd have a tremendous amount of fun, not to mention a couple of beers afterwards.

"But I assure you in this field there is no such thing as a bad draw. It's a blind draw and you take what you get.'' That said, the 53-year-old Perth native who'll be making his first trip to Bermuda, admits he has a soft spot for fellow Australian Karrie Webb, one of the hottest players on the LPGA Tour this and last year.

"I would dearly like to play with Karrie because I've never seen her play.

She's playing fantastically at the moment and obviously going round with her would be a great experience.'' Marsh and Webb will both get the chance to sample Mid Ocean for the first time on Monday in a Pro-Am which will feature all 24 of the Tour Challenge competitors playing alongside amateurs invited by Gillette.

The majority of the field, listed in full below, are expected to arrive on Sunday evening.

PGA TOUR: Craig Stadler, Davis Love, Freddie Couples, Mark Brooks, Scott Hoch, Payne Stewart, John Cook, Nick Price.

SENIOR PGA TOUR: Hale Irwin, Graham Marsh, Lee Trevino, Jim Colbert, Gil Morgan, Walter Morgan, Bob Murphy, Jay Sigel LPGA TOUR: Karrie Webb, Annika Sorenstam, Nancy Lopez, Chris Johnson, Sally Little, Michelle McGann, Barb Mucha, Kelly Robbins.

CRAIG STADLER -- predicting low scores at next week's inaugural Tour Challenge Championship.