Bermudians Nick Jones and Dwayne Pearman got off to good starts at the Trinidad and Tobago Open yesterday.

Jones shot an opening round four-over 76 and fellow professional Pearman five-over 77 at the St Andrews Golf Club in Moka, Maravalto, which left them in fifth and seventh place on the leaderboard.

Trinidad’s Chris Richards Sr and Jamaican Wesley Brown both carded an even par 72 to carve out a one-shot lead over the rest of the field.

Alone in third is Richards’s compatriot and defending champion, Benjamin Martin.

Despite losing momentum coming to grips with a challenging back nine, Jones and Pearman were both generally satisfied by their performances.

“I played really well on the front nine,” Jones told The Royal Gazette. “But the back nine got both me and Dwayne.

“The back nine is a lot harder than the front nine.

“It’s a lot different and very like mountainous. It was very hilly and the greens are a lot more undulated and everything.

“I think we just have to get used to finishing strong.

“The leaders are at even par, so Dwayne and I are only four and five back. “Hopefully we can pick it up tomorrow.”

Pearman also excelled on the front nine before falling off the pace coming in.

“I played pretty good, I played all right the front nine,” he said.

“I was only one over after nine.

“But I doubled 10, missed a couple of putts on 13 and 14 to make two bogeys and then I bogeyed 17 and 18.

“That’s golf and I was playing okay. I hit it okay, but just not scoring.”

Jones, 32, is making his debut at the championships while Pearman is a seasoned campaigner having made several appearances.

Meanwhile, also flying the flag in Trinidad is government MP, Zane DeSilva, who was last shown in eighth among the 22-players in the super senior division through 13 holes, at 13- over 65.

The Trinidad and Tobago Open is one of the oldest golf tournaments in the western hemisphere, dating back to 1907.