Course.

He's spent the past two walking over the Bermuda Open field.

After shooting a blistering 65 yesterday, Pitts heads into today's third round with a five-stroke lead over pre-tournament favourite Billy Andrade and an eight-stroke bulge on Island pro Dwayne Pearman and defending champion Mike Donald, who are tied for third.

If he keeps this up, Pitts, the 29-year-old from North Carolina, is going to put golf cart manufacturers out of business.

"I played so well yesterday (Wednesday), I thought what the hell, let's do it again today,'' said Pitts of his decision to eschew the carts and hoof it up and down Port Royal's 6,561 spectacular yards.

There's also a practical reason: "It forces me into a consistent rhythm,'' he said. "With a cart, you drive to the ball then wait and wait.'' And course marshalls don't have to get on him about slow play: He practically jogs from shot to shot, despite carrying his own bag.

Actually, Pitts started walking on Tuesday, when he arrived too late for the Pro-Am and spent three hours that afternoon measuring off distances and marking them down in his log book.

"It's a good thing I did,'' he said. "It's definitely paid off.'' Indeed, the former state amateur champion opened with a 66 on Wednesday and was five-under over the back nine alone yesterday after short birdie putts on holes 10, 13, 14, 15 and 17.

A four-year veteran of the South Africa professional tour, Pitts came to Bermuda as 72-hole tune-up for PGA qualifying school, beginning next Tuesday in Nashville, Tennessee. He didn't think about winning then and he doesn't even want to talk about it now.

"My game isn't going to change,'' he said. "There are enough good players here you that you can't protect what you have.'' At least one of those players is enough to have Pitts looking over his shoulder: Andrade, the 32-year-old American with more than $2.5 million in career earnings on the PGA tour, including a top 50 placing this year.

Andrade fired a first-round 70, trailing another former tour player, Dan Halldorson, and five others. Yesterday, he fashioned a 66 to keep pace, while all but Pearman fell out of the running.

Halldorson, 44, has some $1.2 million of tour earnings to his credit but the Canadian ballooned to a 77 yesterday, including a double-bogey on the 16th hole.

"This is a tough little course -- and it's not even windy,'' said Halldorson afterwards.

A little wind might be all that's standing in the way of Pitts.

Asked what it would take to catch him, Pearman joked "a thunderstorm.'' Turning serious, he added: "If the conditions stay like this, these guys are going to burn up the course.'' Pearman's round of 71 was consistent -- one birdie (on the fifth) and one bogey (14th) -- but the pro at Ocean View was expecting a little more after returning two weeks ago from the World Cup qualifier in Jamaica.

"I was hitting the ball so well, it was frightening,'' said Pearman, tied at 139 with Donald, who shot a solid 68. "It was so scary I had to back off. Now I'm sorry I did ... I'm struggling.'' Pitts' 65 was also consistent: Tee shots consistently long and straight and approach shots consistently within six feet of the pin. Making his round more impossible was the fact none of his birdies -- and his only bogey -- came on Port Royal's three par fives. On Wednesday, he birdied each of them.

"Every one of my clubs was carrying really good yardage,'' he said.

"I haven't hit a ball out of play in two days. That's the key.'' Despite the perfect conditions and firm greens, only four other players broke par for the day and only one of those was in the 60s -- Chris Van der Velde, who had a first-round 76.

Top Bermuda amateur Robert Vallis, who won this year's strokeplay championships, struggled with a second straight 76. And Cornell Bean, the Belmont pro, didn't get a chance to even play in the second round: He was disqualified for signing an incorrect scorecard on Wednesday.

PGA tour member Bill Britton withdrew before the first round began.