top professional golfer.

Picking up where he left off last year, Pearman fired an opening-round 67 at the IAS Bermuda Professional Golf Association championship at Mid Ocean Club.

It was another five strokes back to Kim Swan, whose 72 left him four shots up on Frank Rabain in the race for second.

With five birdies mixed in with a single bogey (on the third hole), Pearman had the only sub-par round as Mid Ocean's thick rough overcame pleasant conditions to keep scores high.

Following Rabain were Keith B. Smith with a 77 and five players with 79, including host pro Steve DeCosta.

"It's very unusual,'' DeCosta said of the high scores. "But that just reflects on the way the course was playing.'' The $4,200 tournament continues through Thursday.