Andrew Pitts stormed back from seven shots down after his first two rounds to claim the Bermuda Open for an unprecedented third successive time at Port Royal yesterday.

And it was the second year in a row the 31-year-old North Carolina pro had come from behind in the final round to claim the $12,000 first prize.

Pitts, whose first two rounds of 72 and 71 had left him trailing leader Chris Van der Velde by seven and fellow American PJ Cowan by five going into Saturday's play, picked up his form with a 69 and 67 as his rivals faltered to take his place in history with a three-stroke victory.

But having got so close after carding five birdies on the first 14 holes of his final round, he almost threw the opportunity away with a triple bogey at the par three 16th following a tee shot that went into the bunker.

However, Pitts kept his nerve, splashing out of a bunker on the 17th and directly into the hole for an eagle three.

"I knew if I could get a good start yesterday I would have a chance,'' said Pitts afterwards. "Five back in these conditions wasn't too much. The last two years the conditions have been really bad on the last day but it was so calm there were not going to be a lot of big scores.

"But I thought if Chris played well it was all over. If he shot level par I was going to have to get a 66.

"I turned at two under and then had a birdie at ten, downed a putt from about 15 feet for a birdie on 12 and then hit a really good sand wedge at 14 to put me five under. But I still hadn't a clue about how anybody else was doing.'' He went close to another birdie at the 15th -- missing his putt from about 12 feet -- before what he described as "a disaster'' at the 16th.

"I plugged into the lip of the bunker on the right of the green and had absolutely no sort of shot from there so should have taken an unplayable. But I tried to chip it out and it ended up in the bushes. Then I did take an unplayable before two-putting.

"When I holed straight from the bunker on the 17th it was a kind of redemption.'' Pitts, who won on the second hole of a play-off against Cowan and Darrell Kestner last year, added: "I feel that I've been quite lucky each time I've been here. Well, actually, the first year I played well; last year, I was fortunate the guys in the leading group didn't play well on the final day, otherwise it wouldn't have gone to the play-off. And it was the same this year.'' He said partnering Kestner and Bermuda's Dwayne Pearman on the final day had helped his game.

Kestner hit a final round 73 to finish on one-over 285 for the tournament, while Pearman did the Island proud by ending on level par, prompting Pitts to say: "It definitely affects your own game playing with a couple of guys like that. If the group gets going at the start, so do you.

"I consider this a really good win. I've won a couple of small tournaments this year but this is the first recognisable one. The others didn't really mean anything. I'm proud to win this one. Any time you win a national Open you've got to feel good.'' For Van der Velde, it was a case of deja vu. The likeable Dutchman had flown into the lead with rounds of 68 on Thursday and Friday and although he had to settle for a 71 in Saturday's windier conditions, he was, like last year, still out in front going into the final day.

And, at one over after 12 -- birdies at the ninth and tenth repairing some of the early damage of three bogeys -- he was still well in contention.

But it proved to be an unlucky 13th for the 34-year-old as he took six at the par four hole for an eventual round of 75.

"I just had one bad hole,'' he groaned afterwards. "It's ridiculous because the 13th is probably the easiest hole on the course.

"I went for a big drive and hit it right, tried to play it left and it went into the bunker and then I three-putted. It was just a lapse of concentration.

"But you've got to take your hat off to Andrew. It was incredible golf. A lot of guys would have been very down on themselves after the triple bogey so to come back and get an eagle was great -- though it left me a little deflated going onto the 18th tee and I hit my drive into the trees.

"Maybe next year I'll have to change my strategy. This is a tough golf course and perhaps it's easier to make a charge from behind. But I'm not disappointed, I'm glad to have finished second.'' However, he added: "It might have been helpful if there was some sort of scoreboard out there or somewhere where players are obligated to write down their scores -- maybe at the tenth, 13th and 16th. I was sitting there guessing. If I'd known at the 13th what Andrew was doing I might not have gone for such a big drive.'' Pitts makes it three in a row From Page 25 Cowan's final round 74 was enough to secure him third place, while Pearman finished a stroke back to ensure a share of fourth with another former winner Tim Balmer. Kestner finished on 285 after carding a two-over 73 yesterday.

Pearman, recently returned from the World Cup qualifier in Jamaica and the Azorean Open, was yet again the top Bermuda finisher, a spot he has regularly occupied since winning his only Open title back in 1988.

Duncan Zelkin, Bermuda's newest pro, failed to reach his objective of a score of 290, finishing on 296, 12-over for the tournament, but a stroke up on his previous best as an amateur. And he finished on a high, hitting a level par 71 yesterday after Saturday's 79 had put him out of contention.

Just one shot behind was Bermuda's leading amateur Mark Dupuy who carded 297 for a top 20 finish. Robert Vallis was the next local amateur on 304 followed by Blake Marshall (306) who finished with a disappointing 80.

Other Bermudian scores included Cornell Bean on 308, David James on 316, and Port Royal's own pro Frankie Rabain on 313.

Lloyd James and Eardley Jones failed to make the cut after Saturday's play.

TRIPLE CHAMP -- Andrew Pitts claimed an unprecedented third straight Bermuda Open victory yesterday, coming from seven shots back to retain his title.

DIRK FENNIE -- leading amateur in the Bermuda Open and eighth overall.