joint three-stroke lead into the third round of the Bermuda Open today after firing vastly differing rounds of 69 yesterday.

The scores matched their performances on the first day of the championship to give them both four-under-par totals of 138 on the tricky Port Royal course.

In the process, they opened a gap between themselves and pursuing Americans Steve Ford and Frank Dully II - the latter turning in a remarkable 30 on his back nine after shooting 40 going out.

Reigning champion Andrew Pitts stayed in contention, following his disappointing 75 on Thursday with a 68 to put him within five strokes of the pace.

And Delroy Cambridge came good on the greens, shooting birdies at the first, seventh, 13th and 15th for a 67, the best round of the day, which left him on 142 with former Bermuda Open champion Mike Donald.

Former US Ryder Cup player Ken Green was level with Pitts on 143 after striking a one-under 70, a two shot improvement on his previous best in two outings on the course this week. Also one-over after second-round scores of 71 and 72 respectively were Canadian Dan Halldorson and Frank Edmonds.

While Cowan may have been the model of consistency, achieving birdies on the seventh, 13th, and 17th, offset by a bogey on 14 where he three-putted, Van der Velde was in inspired form, grabbing six birdies to make a mockery of Green's contention that four birdies constituted a great day.

But he ultimately wasted the opportunity to go clear of Cowan at the top. Just two strokes separate third to 10th going into the last two rounds.

He scored successive birdies on holes five, six and seven and went close to a fourth on the eighth where a 10-footer narrowly missed. After picking up another at the 13th, he inexplicably bogied and double bogied at the 14th and 15th before grabbing two more at the last two holes -- a superb drive from the fairway at the par-four 18th stopping dead just three feet from the flag.

Cowan, coming off a win at the New York State Open and relative success at the Michelob Classic last week, was in confident mood afterwards.

"I've hit 36 greens so far,'' he said. "It's a good driving course if you can hit the ball straight and the par fives are reachable for the better hitters. But the greens are a bit bumpy and that's why you're unlikely to get any really low scores.'' However Van der Velde, winner of five tournaments in his native Holland this year, had his pleasure muted by the memory of those two nightmare holes.

He said: "I played great. I hit the balls close, but just made two dumb mistakes.

"This is the second year I've played here and I've learned a lot about the course. I know I can play well enough to win, but you only need to hit one wayward shot on this course and you can double bogey.'' Frank Dully II will vouch for that, his drive on the par-five second finding a hole all right: unfortunately it was several feet up a tree and he ended up shooting a seven.

Three more bogies followed, but five birdies on his back nine kept him within touching distance of the leaders.

The leading amateur is Kevin Quinn with scores of 72 and 74 putting him four over par at 146.

DRIVE CAREFULLY -- Five-time PGA Tour winner Ken Green looks anxiously down the fairway after hitting his driver during the Bermuda Open Championships at Port Royal. Green yesterday added a second round of 70 to his first round 73 to stay in contention.