Daniel Augustus will be looking to clear the first hurdle in a bid to qualify for the PGA Tour’s Valspar Championship when he tees off in today’s prequalifier at the Southern Hills Plantation Club in Brooksville, Florida.

The Bermudian professional is among a field of 120 players who are competing in one of two 18-hole prequalifiers being held at the 7,243-yard, par-72 Pete Dye-design layout this week.

Those who make the cut at each prequalifying event will advance to the open qualifier to be held at the same venue next Monday.

“I haven’t played this course before but I’m striking it well and rolling it good,” Augustus said.

“I feel confident and ready and I’m just trying to roll with it.”

The Valspar Championship will be held at Copperhead Course at the Innisbrook Golf Resort in Palm Harbour, Florida from March 21 to 24.

England’s Paul Casey won last year’s championship by one shot over American Patrick Reed.

Augustus warmed up for today’s prequalifier competing at last week’s Grey Goose World Par 3 Championship at Turtle Hill Golf Club, where he finished fifth at one over to earn $2,200 in prize money.

“I was happy to be back home and to pick up a paycheque,” he said.

“I hit a lot of great shots so I am happy with the way I played and my overall game.”

The 31-year-old is a two-times Grey Goose World Par 3 Championship winner having won the PGA of Canada event in 2010 and 2014 when it was then known as the Bacardi National Par 3 Championship and has been in solid form lately.

He achieved a career milestone after capturing a maiden win on the Florida Elite Golf Tour in Florida last month.

The past Bermuda Open winner came from five-shots back of the leader during the second and final round of a 36-hole championship at the Orange County National Golf Club to pip Florida resident Taylor Pendrith for the title and $5,000 winner’s purse by a solitary shot.

He then finished tied at sixth competing in another 36-hole championship on the Open Golf America Tour at the Greg Norman-designed Champions Gate Golf Club just over a week later.

The triumph at the Florida Elite Golf Tour was Augustus’s third overseas as he is a two-times winner on the Moonlight Golf Tour.

“Winning on a tour like this with guys with Web.com Tour status and exemptions shows what I’m capable,” he added. “That’s all I’ve been working on, becoming capable of playing consistently at this level.”