SOUTHAMPTON, Bermuda - The inaugural Bermuda Championship, the country’s first official PGA TOUR event, with a purse of $3,000,000 and 300 FedExCup points for the winner, presents a massive opportunity for the five local players in the field.

“We’ve had exhibition events here before, but this is the real deal,” said 34-year-old amateur Jarryd Dillas. “It’s a dream come true for anyone to play in a PGA TOUR event, and to have it right in our backyard is awesome.”

Dillas began golf when he was 10, taking his first-ever lesson with a childhood friend, tagging along after having a sleepover at the friend’s house the night before. His countryman, Daniel Augustus IV, 32, started the game as a 3-year-old after his father passed away, taken to the course by a relative.

“It does a lot for Bermuda golf, showing how scenic and beautiful Bermuda is, as well as how challenging the golf courses are,” said Augustus, who turned professional in 2010 and teaches golf in Bermuda but occasionally plays mini-tour events in the United States. “It does a lot for me as an individual because my dream's always been to play on the PGA TOUR. So, to have the opportunity and the chance to do so is a dream come true and the little boy inside of me is really happy right now.”

While Augustus has been a professional for almost a decade, Dillas considered turning professional, but declares himself a lifetime amateur.

“I've been able to represent Bermuda quite a bit in the world amateurs, the Eisenhower Trophy, the Latin America Amateur now for the last five years, a few of the big events in the United States,” said Dillas. “It wasn't too long ago that I was playing with some of the guys in this field in amateur golf, so to see them again this week will be fun. It will be nice to catch up a little bit and then see how they've taken off with their careers.”

Kenny Leseur, 15, earned a sponsor exemption into the Bermuda Championship after posting 74-73 in a local qualifier. The teenager, who attends the International Junior Golf Academy in Howey in the Hills, Florida, played a Tuesday practice round with World Golf Hall of Fame member Davis Love III and Michael Sims, a former Korn Ferry Tour member from Bermuda. Leseur admitted to a few nerves in a pre-tournament interview before making his PGA TOUR debut.

“It's crazy to think that I'm sitting here right now doing an interview when I was just a couple weeks ago sitting at home in Florida,” said Leseur, who would be the fourth-youngest player to make the cut at a PGA TOUR event if he can reach the weekend. “But I really liked playing with Davis and Michael yesterday, learned a lot of things by the way he practices and works his way around the golf course. I'm excited for it. I'm sure my dad is, too. He's caddying this week.”

Leseur always had a dream to get on the PGA TOUR. He just wasn’t expecting it this soon. His goal is to go to college and get his PGA TOUR card and is thankful for a lot of help along the way.

“Kim Swan was my coach before I left Bermuda,” said Leseur. “He helped me out for about three years. I knew he was probably the most accomplished Bermudian in golf. I've always played a lot of golf with Camiko Smith and Daniel Augustus. They're big mentors for me and I still like to play with them a lot and both helpful for whatever I need.”

Dwayne Pearman turned professional in 1986 and represented Bermuda in the World Cup of Golf three times – at Kapalua in 1987, Grand Cypress in 1990 and Lake Nona in 1993. The 56-year-old is a multiple winner of the Bermuda Open (twice), Bermuda PGA Championship (13 times) and the Bermuda PGA Matchplay (four times). He also drives a taxi on the island, as Ricky Barnes discovered after the pro-am pairings party on Tuesday night.

“So, I get in a cab after the party and this guy says ‘hey, Ricky’ – you’ve got to understand I know nobody on this island – and so I greet him, but now I’m curious,” said Barnes. “I notice he’s wearing a Puma hat, so I asked if he was spectating at the Bermuda Championship. He says, ‘no, I’m playing’ and I go ‘get out of here!’ He tells me his name is Dwayne Pearman and I’m like ‘no way, you’re playing with my roommate’, because I’m staying with Scott Herrington this week. That’s the only reason I recognized his name. Anyway, we had a great conversation about the island, how he grew up here and where he’s played, all over the world. I learned a lot in that 20-minute cab ride.”

Dillas, like most golfers, looked up to Tiger Woods as a golfer he’d like to emulate, but says Sims was a big inspiration for anyone growing up in Bermuda.

“To see him do it, he had some really big amateur wins, played great in college, great amateur career and then he's done some good things on the professional side as well,” said Dillas.

Sims, a 40-year-old Bermuda native who turned professional in 2002, makes his PGA TOUR debut this week after shooting 67-80 in a local qualifying competition to earn a sponsor exemption into the Bermuda Championship. With five top-10 finishes in 111 career starts on the Korn Ferry Tour, Sims says his career highlight was shooting 59 in the second round of the 2012 eGolf Tour’s Southern Open. He grew up in Bermuda, playing junior golf on the island and won the Bermuda Open at Port Royal Golf Club as a professional.

“Honestly, I’m humbled to hear that Jarryd thinks I’m an inspiration,” said Sims. “But we all pass it along, right? I remember hitting hundreds and hundreds of balls on the range out here at Port Royal and Dwayne would come watch me and give me advice and encouragement. That’s the sort of thing you never forget.”

All five Bermudian golfers in the field are honored to be competing and representing the country in the Bermuda Championship and agree that making sure visitors have a good time in Bermuda is essential to having them return.

“We’re very hospitable people,” added Augustus. “We just love having people down to show them how great of a culture we have here as far as being friendly to anybody that comes down. We take pride in taking care of anybody that comes to the island and ensuring them a good time.”

“Bermudians are really nice people, kind and just a lot of fun and I think pretty laid back,” said Dillas. “I think people will kind of let you get on with what you've got to do.”

However, the pair are split when it comes to which team they plan to support in the upcoming Presidents Cup in Australia in December.

Dillas immediately answered, “United States. I’ve always been a Tiger fan, so if Tiger’s playing, go Tiger.”

“Really? The rest of the world, man,” said Augustus. “We're the rest of the world.”

Don’t be surprised if the players who represent this small island nation make a big impact on the rest of the world this week.