Invitational yesterday, when he shot a three-under 67 to take a three-stroke lead and edge towards his fith title at the Belmont Golf Club.

His closest challenger after the second round was two-time defending champion Paul Parajeckas, who followed his first-round 71 with a par 70 yesterday, while overnight leader Tom Sullivan slipped down the leaderboard after shooting a 78.

Scotsman Ronnie Milton followed his first-round 73 with a 70 yesterday to lift himself into third place.

And Ocean View professional Dwayne Pearman, the last Bermudian winner at the Belmont in 1992, dropped off the pace somewhat after a round of 73 which left him in fourth place on a 36-hole total of 145, seven strokes off the lead.

Pearman, who turned 37 yesterday, has been unable so far to reproduce the form of last year's tournament when he scored in the 60s every day, and said: "It's my birthday and I still can't get a birdie.'' Just one shot adrift of Pearman is the Island's youngest professional, 20-year-old Andrew Trott, who fired a 71 yesterday and starts today's third round in fifth place on 146, tied with Keith Smith and Tom Waters.

Despite gaining the lead, Conley, who had shot 71 on day one, felt he could play much better and was expecting further improvement today.

"I have made only one 10-foot putt each day and if I can make more of those putts, my scores can get much lower,'' said Conley, who missed the last two Belmont Invitations after winning his fourth title in 1996.

"I have heard there is going to be bad weather on Thursday, so I want to try and get a good, big lead up on Wednesday.'' Conley birdied the first, second, ninth, 10th and 16th holes, but bogeyed the sixth and the 12th.

"I got a little bit more used to the course and I think maybe the pin placements were harder on the first day,'' he added.

Parajeckas felt he was still in the running for a hat-trick of titles, but said there was one aspect of his game which had to improve.

"I bogeyed all the par three holes apart from the most difficult one, the 14th, and I have got to putt better,'' said Parajeckas.

"The greens here are in the best shape I have ever seen them, but you have to really hit the putts hard. I think whoever putts the best will win this tournament.

"I think four or five-under is a pretty good score on this course. With two rounds to go, anything can happen.'' Milton, playing for the sixth time at the Belmont, had similar feelings.

The teaching pro from Lanarkshire, Scotland, said: "I can't get used to the greens in Bermuda. The grass is coarser than back home and the ball seems to jump off the putter instead of roll.

"And in some places the turf is so hard it can turn the club head. But I can't complain after a 70.'' Trott, who works as a teaching pro at the Southampton Princess, is playing in his first Belmont and his only his second tournament as a pro.

In his first event, last October's Bermuda Open, he placed 17th and was looking to do better this week.

"I was one-under after nine holes, but then I slowed up a bit,'' said Trott.

"I figure if I can go out and get even-par over the next two rounds I've got a chance.'' Trott is trying to build on a family tradition at the Belmont -- his uncle Hav Trott won the tournament four times, in 1976, 1978, 1980 and 1981 -- but he admitted he had a lot to live up to.

"Uncle Hav set the pace as an amateur and now I'm trying to follow in his footsteps as a pro,'' added Trott.

In the amateur stableford tournament, two of the five overnight leaders, Adley Madeiros and Joe McRonald jnr., opend up a five-point lead over the rest of the field.

Both followed their opening-day 42-point hauls with 41 yesterday, for two-round net totals of 83. Their closest challengers are Ken Detora (78), Mike Shaw (76) and Renaldo Bean (75).

In the swing: American Tim Conley drives at the 16th tee at Belmont during his second-round three-under-par 67, which earned him a three-stroke lead in the Black Seal Invitational.