Kent Wagner stunned favourite Walter Ray Williams Jr. to capture the PBA South Bermuda Open on his first attempt at Warwick Lanes yesterday.

After qualifying seventh on Saturday, and then making his way through to the stepladder finals as the number two seed, Wagner unleashed an awesome display that had the audience rocking in their seats, with Williams almost as much a spectator.

The diminutive Floridian simply couldn't miss, notching strike after strike, while Williams initially struggled to find the groove following a lengthy lay-off. And once the tall, veritable living legend found the spot it was too late to halt his rival's charge.

Such was the supremacy of Wagner that he won despite Williams having rolled his best game of the weekend, a 248. But it paled in comparison to the near perfect 278 laid down by his opponent.

"He bowled a great game. It's tough to beat a 270 game, that's a tough one,'' said Williams afterwards. "I bowled very well all week, but you still have to win that last game ... it just didn't work out the way I wanted it to.

"I bowled a good match and I'm happy with the way I bowled, you can't argue with that, he just out-bowled me that game.

"In one game anything can happen. He bowled well and had a better game, that's the way it goes.'' A modest Wagner, who walked away with a cool $3,500 -- Williams received $1,800 -- gave great credit to his adversary, noting how Williams had been the best performer during the weekend, inferring Lady Luck to have been on his side during the final.

"Anything can happen in one game,'' said Wagner. "I wanted to come here just to be in Bermuda.

"I had never been here and beating Ray ... that was just one game, but overall he should have won it, which is probably the bad thing about our sport. I'm just glad to beat him.

"The lanes were hooking a lot, and anytime they hook a lot I bowl good. I'm probably the only one in the world that likes Guardian, which they have here.

They always hook early, so that's pretty much the reason for my bowling pretty well.

"Anytime you win, especially when you're kind of on vacation, it's awesome.'' It was clear Williams was in for a battle once Wagner disposed of former titlist Sam Zurich 264-192 in the penultimate game.

Wagner, Williams, Zurich, newlywed Randy Weiss and Brian Goebel all made it to the stepladder stage, with Weiss defeating Goebel 234-163 in the first match before being upended 237-230 by Zurich in a nail-biter.

It was the first win this season for Wagner, who had been on a six-year hiatus from the tour, returning a mere two weeks ago for the PBA South Open in Port Richey, Florida, qualifying second at the event which was actually won by Williams.

Top Bermudian in the event was Steven Riley, who finished 14th and took home $600, with Dean Lightbourn next in 18th.

Meanwhile, the Colonial Cup was captured for the third consecutive year by the United States team over a Bermuda outfit.

On a roll: American Kent Wagner shows the championship form that won him the PBA South Bermuda Open yesterday.