American professionals Tom Waters and Tom Sullivan shared the lead after the opening day of the Belmont Invitation.

The two Toms both made the most of perfect golfing conditions to go round the par-70 Warwick course in four-under 66, two shots ahead of defending champion Paul Parajeckas and three ahead of Bermuda's top professional Dwayne Pearman.

The early pace-setter was Waters, professional at the Essex Golf Club in Manchester, Massachusetts, who finished fourth last year in his debut at the Invitation.

"The course is in great shape and these are perfect golf conditions with virtually no wind,'' said Waters.

"I wouldn't be surprised to see some very low scores if the weather stays like this. I was pleased with my golf today. It was a solid round.'' Fellow leader Sullivan, whose no-frills approach paid dividends, expressed similar sentiments.

"I didn't take a lot of chances, I just tried to avoid making mistakes.

That's the way I play. I like the greens here, though some of the guys find them a bit slow,'' said Sullivan.

"I got four birdies and no bogeys, so it was a decent round, but you can't win a tournament on the first day.

"Conditions were great, but even the lack of wind can fool you a bit here, because you have to use different clubs from other years when you allowed for the wind.'' Third-placed Parajeckas seemed satisfied with his two-under-par 68, though he looked set to do better after completing the front nine in three-under.

In what turned out to be a topsy-turvy round, he went out of bounds and bogeyed the dog-leg par-five 11th, hit back to birdie the 13th and then went back to two under when he bogeyed the 14th.

His mixed fortunes were summed at the 18th, when his approach shot went too far to the left, leaving him at the foot of a steep slope.

From there, he needed two shots to get on the green, but then astonished those watching by sinking a 30-foot putt to escape with a bogey.

"In those situations I try not to show my emotions, even though it hurts inside,'' said Parajeckas.

"To finish with a double bogey at the last would have been terrible, having all that time overnight to think about it. But I'm a fighter and I honestly expected to see that 30-footer go in.'' Parajeckas added: "Who knows what could happen now? There are 54 holes to play and that's a lot of golf.'' Perhaps the most remarkable story of the day came from amateur Mathias Logan, who holed out at the 370-yard second hole with his second shot.

Logan, 43, who plays off a 12-handicap, is the superintendent at the Belmont Golf Club and was thrilled with his achievement.

"I've never done anything like this in my life and you can be sure I'll never forget it,'' said Logan.

"I played my second shot with a six-iron from about 160 yards out and saw it go towards the flag.

"But when we got up there we couldn't find the ball. When we finally checked the hole, there it was!'' Dwayne Pearman, who has consistently performed well at the Invitation over the years, last winning the title in 1992, looks set to be a leading challenger again.

A late rally produced birdies for Pearman at the last two holes, giving him a one-under-par 69 and tying for fourth place, the top Bermudian on the leaderboard.

Pearman said: "The conditions were great and if it remains calm, this course is fairly straightforward to play. Wind can make it more difficult.'' The leading local amateurs were Steven Duxbury and Dave Purcell, who both scored even par 70 to tie for sixth place. Purcell has been a regular at the tournament over the past 20 years, and plays off a five handicap.

Three-handicapper Duxbury, a member at Mid Ocean Club, enjoyed a lightning start with birdies at the first three holes and then parred the two par threes, holes four and five, to begin with five consecutive threes on his card.

Just one shot behind Duxbury and Purcell were J.J.Madeiros, the leading Bermuda senior professional, and local amateur Winston Trott.

There was a three-way tie for second on the seniors' leaderboard, with Joe Carr, Jack Gayle and John Scheffler Snr all having gone round in 72.

The tournament continues today and tomorrow and concludes on Thursday.

PAUL PARAJECKAS -- the defending champion holed a 30-foot putt on the 18th green to finish the opening round of the Belmont Invitation two strokes off the lead.

DWAYNE PEARMAN -- the best-placed Bermudian after a one-under-par 69.