Chris Smith managed to withstand the blustery conditions yesterday at Belmont Golf Course to remain at the top after 36 holes of tournament play in the Fecchio Cup.

Smith holds a three stroke lead going into the final day's play.

Jarred Dillas, who began the day in sixth place, also managed to combat the weather to move up to second place with a two round total of 149 and will be a challenge to Smith for overall honours.

The ambitious Smith, whose goal is to one day tee off on the US Professional Golfer's Association circuit, is by no means your average weekend venturer, having held a club in his hand since the tender age of four and is presently enrolled as a freshman at the San Diego Golf Academy in Orlando, Florida.

Smith, initially nurtured on the local junior circuit, before venturing across the Atlantic, called upon his experience to record a second successive three over par 73.

“Today it was windy, the course was playing pretty tough, the greens were good - I really like the greens, they were quick,” said Smith afterwards. “The fairways were also pretty good, I thought I played very good today, although I made a few mistakes here and there, but nothing major.

“As for tomorrow, I intend to just go out there and play my own game and see what I shoot and hopefully I play good.”

Meanwhile, Laura Robinson who is also active in collegiate golf in the US, managed to overcome a bogey riddled 17th hole to register an 83 and escape with a narrow one stroke lead over Ebony Burgess. That sets the stage for a cliffhanger going into today's final round of the championship - the first major junior tournament on the BJGA circuit.

“I generally played a good round today, it was extremely windy and so not much was really expected from the field,” said Robinson.

“Even though I have a one stroke lead heading into tomorrow's final round, I don't consider myself as having the lead, in fact I would say that we were pretty even,” said Robinson, a member of the Wofford College Terriers Golf team in South Carolina.