Seven-year-old Mark Phillips is on the prowl.

Similarities between the tiny Bermudian and his American hero are already catching the eye of local pros.

With his cut-down lightweight graphite driver, the youngster is launching the ball between 150 and 170 yards down the fairway, returning scores that would be more than respectable from players twice his age.

The son of Chris and Wanda Phillips of Devonshire and a distant relative of late PGA Tour star Tony Lima, young Mark carded an 84 at Southampton Princess when he was just six.

Playing off the ladies tees, he's since fired 51 over nine holes at Ocean View, 56 at Belmont and 36 at Ocean View. His 18-hole best is 104 at Ocean View.

And next week he'll get chance to tee it up with some of his pee-wee contemporaries when he enters the Little People's Golf Championship in Quincy, Illinois.

Run by PGA Tour pro D.A.Weibring, the two-round tournament is specifically aimed at young players with Tiger Woods' potential. And according to his father, there's no doubt Mark fits the bill.

"He picked up his first club when he was still in diapers and he's been playing ever since,'' said Chris Phillips, who spends several evenings a week and weekends out on the course with his son.

"He hits three irons off the ground about 100 yards and in bunkers he's excellent -- gets out every time.

"He's in a programme run by Mike Daniels at Ocean View but both Kim Swan and Dwayne Pearman have spent time with him and they agree he's got extraordinary talent for his age.'' A member at Ocean View, where he's the current advanced novice champion, Mark and his Dad are also members at Belmont. But next week will mark his first venture overseas.

MARK PHILLIPS -- 7-year-old golfer is turning heads.