Adam Perry stepped up his Moongate Tour championship bid after securing his second win of the season at Port Royal Golf Course yesterday.

The 23-year-old professional is in a two-horse race for honours with Order of Merit leader and defending champion Kenny Leseur, which remains close with one round remaining in the championship.

Perry trailed Leseur by 250 points heading into the season’s penultimate medal event and narrowed the gap down to 30 after coming away with a three-shot victory on the back of another solid display in trying conditions at the Southampton golf course.

“I‘m very happy and if I was going to battle it out with anybody I’d love to do it with Kenny,” Perry told The Royal Gazette.

“Coming up at a very similar age, Kenny has always been a very good golfer. Even at a young age I aspired to play golf like him even though he’s younger than me.

“He’s always someone I’ve been chasing, so to be kind of neck and neck going into one event left for the season, I’m pretty happy with it.”

Perry coped best with the breezy conditions and trying pin placements.

“The wind was definitely up. It was a 2, 3 club wind on certain holes and some of the pin locations were diabolical, so tough conditions and I’m pretty happy with an even par,” he said.

Leseur lost some precious ground in his bid to retain his title after finishing tied for seventh with a nine-over 80, which included three double bogeys.

Past tour champion and fellow professional Scott Roy finished second with a three- over 74 that included one birdie.

Jamie MacMillan, who topped the amateurs in the field, finished tied for third with professionals Dwayne Pearman, Nick Jones and Chris Smith at six-over 77.

Aaron James (81) finished second among the amateurs and ninth overall, while James Godwin (83) rounded off the top three amateurs and top ten players overall.