The 19-year-old Perry, who plays off a plus 3 handicap, fired rounds of 68, 71 to finish one under par and four shots ahead of Woolgoolga’s Logan Toms (68,75).

18-year-old Tamworth golfer Nathan Mann, (71,73) was a shot further back in third.

41 golfers teed off in the annual  Easter Open, with Toms and Perry sharing the first-day lead.

Yesterday it was Perry who negotiated the tougher, windier conditions to finish one over par on the day and one under for the 36-hole Vardon event.

“I played good yesterday,”  Perry said yesterday.

“I holed a few more putts yesterday. 

“It was a bit windier today, a bit tougher.”

Tamworth’s traditional long fairways suited Perry’s game and he enjoyed the good greens.

“It’s only the second time I’ve played here,” he said.

“I played it once before in a district event.

“The greens are good compared to home.”

Perry is hoping to break into a national squad in the next year and then look at trying to qualify at a tour school.

“This year I was a bit sick early on so not much happened but it’s been good lately. 

“I finished second in the Muree Open (near Raymond Terrace) the other day.”

He said a lot of hard work and practice had paid off.

 Meanwhile, Armidale Golf Club finishes its “Back to Armidale Easter Golf Carnival” with an individual stableford for men and ladies today.

The four-day carnival was revived last year after a six-year hiatus and began on Friday with an individual stableford.

Stephen Teege won the men’s A grade with 39 points and Christine McNamara the ladies on a countback from Chris Russell after both finished with 36 points.

Saturday was a men’s and ladies’ 4BBB and yesterday a 4BBB medley par.

Matthew Brown and Kevin Marshall won the men’s fourball with 50pts and Lyn Campbell and Anne Baillie the women’s with 42.

Yesterday, Jamie Urquhart and Craig Dussart finished with 11-up to win the medley fourball.

The carnival has drawn around 300 golfers from as far afield as Sydney, Townsville, Brisbane, Canberra and the Central Coast.