The final round of the Butterfield Bermuda Championship Local Qualifier is shaping up to be a thriller with five golfers within a shot of each other at the top of the leaderboard.

With three spots up for grabs at the main PGA Tour event, Oliver Betschart, Will Haddrell and Daniel Augustus are occupying those crucial positions at the halfway stage on level par. But they will be looking over their shoulders at Port Royal Golf Course tomorrow, with Kenny Leseur and Quinton Sherlock Jr just a shot behind at one over.

It was seemingly an advantage to be out early, with both Haddrell and Betschart in the first group and among the first to get a taste of the strong easterly wind, a rarity in these parts where the prevailing breeze tends to come out of the southwest.

It was on the front nine, where the best of the scoring took place, Betschart getting to the turn at two under before giving both shots back on the tricky back nine.

The teenager, who qualified for the Butterfield Bermuda Championship in 2023, was unsure of how high up the leaderboard he would be at the end of the day after being the first back in the clubhouse but was pleased with where his game is at.

“It was a pretty steady day,” he said. “I always try to take it just one shot at a time.

“I’m happy with the outcome and I’ve put myself in it. I feel really comfortable in the wind and I am able to use it to my advantage.

“It would be great to qualify for the event again; this is a tournament I look forward to every year. I’m trying not to let the pressure build and just trying to control the controllables. All the experiences I have had in the last two years since I played in it last have hopefully led me back here again.”

Haddrell has yet to play in the main PGA Tour event, and is delighted that he has given himself a chance to qualify. The highlights of his round were birdies on the 2nd, 7th and 8th before he was also bitten by the rough back nine.

“I’m in the mix, which is great,” he said. “I took it as an advantage to be out first because you get the best of the greens and sometimes the weather can deteriorate.

“This is the sixth time I’ve tried to qualify and I’ve come close before. I’m the only one of my golf peer group who hasn’t made it and I want this to be my time to do it.”

Daniel Augustus played in the inaugural Butterfield Bermuda Championship in 2019 but visa issues and a desire to make it as a professional in the United States had prevented him from further attempts to qualify,

But now back in Bermuda, he has given himself a fantastic opportunity with only a six at the par-five 17th preventing him from taking a lead into the final round.

“I hit it great today but just missed a few putts, so it’s important to focus on the fact that I’m hitting it so well,” he said. “I’m pleased but just want to see a couple more putts drop.

“Being back home in Bermuda is a great feeling, just to be back with my family and friends. Bermuda golf is more difficult than people realise and it’s great to see this course back in great shape again.

“I can’t think about the fact that I’m close to qualifying for a PGA Tour event. I have to just focus on one shot at a time and hitting the 1st fairway. The only way I will do this is by sticking to my process and then results will happen. It would be great to qualify but I can’t think about that right now.”

Leseur and Sherlock, both just one shot behind, played together during the first round and will be again walking the hills of Port Royal in the penultimate group tomorrow.

Sherlock, who won the recent Johnnie Walker Classic, had a roller-coaster of a round with four birdies and five bogeys, but is happy with his game

“You can’t win it on the first day, but you can lose it,” he said.

“Nine times out of ten when you play golf you always feel like you left a few shots out there. It was a little bit scrappy, but I’m just hoping for a bit more precision tomorrow.”

Leseur has recently turned professional and is thrilled to be this close to again qualifying for a PGA Tour event.

“I’m excited for tomorrow and I think the wind is going to be up as well,” he said.

“But if I hit it as well as I did today and hit a few more putts, I think I’ll be pretty good.

“I had a few lip-outs on the back nine, but I hung in there, made a birdie on 15 and came home even par in the last three holes.

“It would be amazing to qualify again. Having turned professional, I really believe in my game in the last year and a half. I’m ready for tomorrow.”

It will take a huge effort from someone outside the top five to make a run at qualifying, with Johnny Bart and Dwayne Pearman best placed of the remaining 22 players on three over.