Joe Horowitz is relying on some solid golf and impressive facial hair to carry him to victory in the Gosling's Invitational at Belmont Hills.

The American shot a level par 70 yesterday to stay at four-under for the tournament, three shots clear of defending champion Tim Conley.

While not hitting the highs of his first round 66, Horowitz was just happy to have maintained his lead, and believes he owes it all to his newly-grown moustache.

"There are a lot of good players [still in it], Mike Donald, former US Open runner-up, is one, but I'm relying this week on my moustache," he said.

"I'm growing it for a children's charity, and 60 of us from New York grow a moustache for the month. Last year we raised $18,000 for the Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York City.

"I think I'm leading because I have power in my moustache this week."

While others were shooting scores in the mid-60s, yesterday's round was more about staying solid and in contention as far as Horowitz was concerned.

"Seventy was a good score today," he said. "I really didn't do anything really good, or really bad, it was just a kind of 'get through the day round'.

"I knew it was going to be one of those days when the first couple of bounces I had were awkward.

"So I just decided 'you know what, get through today's round and put yourself in position for later on'.

"I struck the ball well today, I hit a lot of good shots. On Monday I made two eagles which kind of kick-started a lot of things, and I was waiting for a point in my round [yesterday] to kind of jump-start things, and it never really happened.

"I was two under for most of the day, and I bogeyed 11 and 18 coming in, and that was it.

"The pin position at 18 is absolutely ridiculous, it was borderline offensive I guess you could call it. But I played good enough today."

Horowitz will now take his lead into the third day, and while some prefer to chase a score, Horowitz is perfectly happy setting the pace.

"Some people say they are afraid of the lead, but the more the better as far as I am concerned," he said.

"I'd love to be ahead by eight shots if it was up to me, you know.

"But three shots is good, I'll take three shots. It's a lovely position to be in."

Conley fired a two-under par 68 yesterday to move into second place, as Danny King's early challenge disappeared with a miserable second round 77.

King began the day at one-under, and had moved to three-under half way through his round yesterday. But the wheels came off on the back nine and he shot 44 to finish at six-over for the tournament, 10 shots off the lead.

Last year's runner-up Brian McCann is third at level par for the tournament alongside Donlad.

McCann though struggled with his putter, and a double-bogey at 18, when he four-putted from 14 feet, cost him dearly.

Donlad meanwhile was able to ditch the rental clubs he used for the first round after his own finally made it to the Island.

At only four shots back, the former US Open runner-up is still well in contention.

The round of the day however came from Amateur champion Daniel Augustus who shot an impressive six-under par 64 to move to three-under and second overall for the tournament.

The Bermudian golfer is now a whopping 14-shots clear of nearest rival, Andy Wright, and firm favourite to successfully defend his title.