VERNON, British Columbia -- Playing in unfamiliar surroundings cost Cornell Bean dearly here yesterday in the first round of the $100,000 Xerox BC Open at Predator Ridge.

Unable to get a practise round in because of his qualifier status, Bean was unsure of his clubbing all day and struggled to an eight-over-par round of 81.

With the 36 hole cut expected to be made at two or three over par, Bean must shoot in the 60s today if he is to advance to weekend play.

Bean hit just nine of the 18 greens in regulation as he repeatedly misclubbed his approaches. "Tee to green, I was fairly pleased considering I hadn't played the course,'' he said. "I missed a lot of greens, but on five of them I was close -- on the fringe, or near it. It seemed like my approaches were a little long or a little short all day.'' Of more concern to Bean was his short game. "Of the nine greens I missed I made only one up and down,'' he lamented. "I was disappointed in my chipping.

I was out of practise with my short game and it showed. I did a little bit of chipping on Wednesday, but I've got to do more to get used to the blue grass, the heavy grass around the greens up here. I had to make some up and downs to keep my score down today and my short game wasn't up to it.'' The Belmont pro began the day in fine form with a birdie on the 546-yard par-five, 10th hole, Bean's first hole of the round. But he bogeyed the 11th after missing the green, double bogeyed the 12th with a three-putt and played the remainder of the front nine in one over to make the turn at three-over-par 41.

"That birdie made me feel good, but I knew the 11th and 12th were tough after walking the course earlier in the week,'' he said. "I knew I had to get past those two holes to do well, and I ended up playing them three-over-par.'' Bean struggled on his back nine, double bogeying the par-three third for his second five on a par three and -- double bogeying the 401-yard sixth hole after a shank off the tee. "I lost my balance,'' said Bean, who shot five-over-par 40 on his final nine.

He finished the day with three birdies, seven pars, five bogeys and three double bogeys. Bean hit six of 14 fairways and took 33 putts.

Bean's game plan for today's second round is a simple one. "I'll just try to hit more greens to put myself into position to make more birdies,'' he said.

Canadian Norm Jarvis shaved two strokes off the course record with an eight-under-par round of 65 that included 10 birdies, seven of them on the back nine to take the first round lead. Eric Woods of California and Canadian Cam Emerson are a stroke back.

Craig Marseille of Canada, who tied for second spot in last year's Bermuda Open, carded a 70 helped by a front nine that included five birdies. The 1990 Bermuda Open champion, Tim Balmer of Florida, opened with a 73.