Team captain Bob Legere believes the Island?s Eisenhower Cup golfers have it in them to beat Bermuda?s best-ever finish this week at the biggest competition in the amateur game.

In the 48-year history of the men?s World Amateur Team Championships, Bermuda have placed in the top 20 on four occasions, including an as-yet-unbeaten 16th in 1958 ? the event?s inaugural year.

But speaking from South Africa last night, Legere expressed supreme confidence in his team of Robert Vallis, Nick Mansell and William Haddrell ? insisting they were capable of positing a four-round score of well-under par if they played to their potential.

After arriving in the Cape on Saturday, the trio have had one practice round so far on each of the tournament?s two courses ? the De Zalze and Stellenbosch Golf Clubs ? and will spend both today and tomorrow fine tuning their games ahead of the first round on Thursday.

Vallis is the reigning Bermuda Amateur Strokeplay Champion after beating Haddrell by a solitary stroke, while Mansell owes his inclusion in the team to the withdrawal of David Smith.

?All three players look to be striking the ball very well and in terms of pure talent I think we?ve got one of the strongest teams we?ve ever had,? said Legere, who is in his third stint as the men?s captain.

?They?re in agreement that the De Zalze course is the harder of the two they?ll be playing because the greens are very fast and undulating and the fairways are fairly narrow as well which means that there is a premium on being straight off the tee.

?Obviously there are a large number of excellent golfers here, but looking at our team I?m optimistic about our chances of doing well and it would not surprise me if we beat our best finish ever.

?Now if we could get into the top ten then of course I?d be over the moon, but anywhere in the top 20 would be a terrific effort as well.?

One of the reasons for Legere?s optimism is the addition this year of Haddrell, a Bermudian who played top-tier collegiate golf in Texas but has not lived on the Island for many years.

Initially his inclusion ? after finishing third at the Strokeplay Championships earlier this year ? caused some consternation among several local players who had never seen or heard of the big-hitting Haddrell before he showed up for the tournament.

But as Legere pointed out at the time, Haddrell met all the criteria laid down by the Bermuda Golf Association to qualify and was a ?justified and worthy addition? to the Eisenhower team.

?I?m looking forward to seeing how he fares this week,? said Legere.

?I?m expecting him to do well and it looks as though he is going to go after his (PGA) Tour card once this tournament is over. It seems to me that he certainly has the talent and having him here with us has really bolstered our chances of doing well.

?But saying that both Nick Mansell and Bob Vallis have been to two Eisenhower Cups before and though there are a lot of young players here this week, I think their experience makes us stronger.

?Bob in particular is feeling very comfortable with his game and he is wise enough to know that you cannot muscle the ball around on these courses because there is so little margin for error off the tee.

?For now, though, it?s just a matter of taking it easy over the next couple of days to make sure we?re sharp and focused for the first round.?

Bermuda begin their Eisenhower Cup campaign at the Stellenbosch course on Thursday morning with the team standings decided by adding the best two scores of each three-player side.

The Island women?s team completed their version of the World Amateur Team Championships last week, finishing 32nd out of 42 nations.