Daniel Augustus shot a brilliant opening round of 69 to place himself in early contention at the APGA at TPC Scottsdale in Arizona on Wednesday.

The Bermudian professional carded four birdies and two bogeys at the TPC Scottsdale Champions Course to enter the clubhouse at two under.

Augustus attributes his fine start to the adjustments he has made to his mental approach to the game.

“Recently I have been having to start all over,” he told The Royal Gazette.

I started from scratch playing one shot at a time; hit in the fairway then get on the green and give myself a look

“I did that pretty well for the most part today. I Left a couple out there but made a couple of putts.

“I feel like I am going in the right direction, so I am feeling better about my game finally again. Just getting lost in the process and trusting that the process will take care of the result instead of worrying about the result before I even get through the process.”

As well as his rivals, Augustus also had to contend with the searing 112F heat.

“It was hot and you just have to drink plenty of liquids like Liquid IV and tons of water,” he said.

“Every time in between shots you’re drinking liquid. You really have to hydrate and make sure you’re eating, but more or less after every shot you hit you take some water. That’s the only way you can deal with it.”

Augustus is tied for fifteenth, three shots adrift of the lead held by Ryan Alford, with a handful of players still to complete their first round.

Also flying Bermuda’s flag at the tournament is Nick Jones, who tied for 50th at three over with four holes left to play.

“It’s my first time playing Arizona and I am really looking forward to it,” Jones said prior to teeing off.

“There’s a few adjustments I have to make as you’re at a high altitude. The ball flies about one to two clubs farther sometimes, so it’s part of the equation you have to adjust for.

“Game feels good, feels sharp. Just need to put it all together, stay positive, stay focused. That’s the game plan for the tournament.”

The 36-hole event concludes on Thursday.