Andrew Pitts says he can't wait for next year's Bermuda Open.

Little wonder after he yesterday conquered fierce winds and a three-man play-off to win the $50,000 tournament at Port Royal.

Haven't we seen this all somewhere before? It was a year ago that Pitts overcame the gusts of Hurricane Lily and the shot-making of Mike Donald and Billy Andrade to win on the first hole of sudden-death.

Yesterday, 30-knot winds challenged all but the simplest of shots and instead of Donald and Andrade, it was PJ Cowan and Darrell Kestner in a play-off. Only this one went two holes before Kestner -- lying seven after taking two drops on the par-five second -- conceded a bogey putt and the win to Pitts.

"All in all, I consider myself very fortunate to have even been in a play-off,'' said the 30-year-old North Carolinan, who started the day three shots back of co-leaders Chris Van der Velde and Cowan.

"I guess it was just my week.'' Even after spending most of the past few years playing in South Africa and Asia, the victories here represent his only two as a professional. And while they're worth a total of $25,000, the big pay-off comes in two weeks, with automatic entry into the lucrative Sarazen World Open.

But that was the last thing on his mind as he joined a top-notch field trying to come to grips with a Port Royal course that had tamed them for the past three days. And that was without wind.

Van der Velde and Cowan had by far the most success with equal rounds of 69-69-71 and a two-shot bulge on Delroy Cambridge heading into the day. But Port Royal always seems to enact some sort of revenge and yesterday it came at the expense of the leaders.

Van der Velde had double bogeys on the fourth and 14th holes on his way to a 75 while Cowan came in with a 74 and Cambridge a 78.

Cowan could have won the tournament outright but bogeyed the 15th and just missed a five-foot birdie putt on the par-five 17th. That left him in the clubhouse awaiting the scores of Pitts, Donald and a hard-charging Kestner.

Pitts survived a double-bogey on the second to play the back nine one-over while Donald, four back to start the day, made his run with birdies on the 15th and 17th. On the 18th, Donald, the 1995 champion, faced a downhill 15-foot birdie putt to make it a four-man play-off. Donald, who settled for a fine 71 on the day, staggered backwards in disbelief as the ball lipped out.

Then there was Kestner, the 1996 US club champion out of Deepdale, New York.

Firing the best round of the day -- an improbable 69 after a 68 on Saturday -- he birdied the final three holes to make the play-off and, like Pitts, found a certain sense of relief from the blustery conditions.

"I'm usually a good wind player,'' he said. "I wanted the wind to blow because otherwise I would've had to shoot a really, really low score.'' Cowan was the first to depart the play-off, leaving his 30-foot birdie putt well short then missing a six-footer for par. Kestner and Pitts had tap-ins before heading off to what ultimately became a very eventful second hole.

With the wind blowing from the left, both players -- predictably -- sent their tee shots into the trees right of the fairway. "I thought I hit a good tee shot,'' said Pitts. "I had no idea my ball was in trouble. Obviously Darrell didn't know either or he would've just hit a three wood or something down the middle.'' Pitts' ball at least was playable and, with his head stuck in the bushes, he managed to scuff it into the fairway. Kestner wasn't so fortunate. His tee shot was buried among the roots and he was forced to take a drop. His next shot promptly ricocheted off a cedar tree 20 yards away and became lost more permanently.

But his adventure wasn't over. From his second drop, he at least found the fairway only to whack his sixth shot into the bunker guarding the front of the green.

"We got to the green and he (Pitts) said `What do you lie?' I said, `I have no idea. Just keep going and you could probably five-putt before you'd be even with me.' "I thought I would never get out there.''