Oliver Betschart set the early pace in the opening round of the Fecchio Cup at Turtle Hill Golf Course on Thursday.

The 16-year-old shot a four-over 59 to carve out a four-shot advantage at the top of the Blue Division leaderboard at the midway stage of the 36-hole tournament.

Betschart, who carded four bogeys and a double bogey before making birdie on the last hole to break 60, described his round as “challenging” while coping with the blustery conditions and slow greens at the par-3 Southampton golf course.

“It was a tough test out there but I really just tried to keep in my head that everyone has to deal with the same things,” the 2024 Gosling’s Moongate Tour champion told The Royal Gazette.

“I focused on hitting greens and getting putts to the holes and once in a while the putts will drop, and that was kind of my whole mentality. I think everyone struggled a little bit, but the main thing and main advice I would have for all the other juniors playing is just focus on the next shot. It’s really important not to get hung up on how the greens are, and how the conditions of the course and conditions of the weather are, and just focus on the next shot and play your game.”

Matthew Roberts, who shot 63, sits in second and Johnny Bart in third, another shot back. Defending Blue Division champion Camilo Legere (66) is in fourth, a further two shots adrift of the leader.

Sienna Mosquera, the only female player in the Blue Division, sits in seventh after producing a round of 69.

“I struggled with a few shots off the tee today in the tough windy conditions, and ultimately didn’t play as well as I had hoped,” the Port Royal Female Club Champion and Mike Bender Golf Academy student said. “However, I had some really great chips that helped me recover that I was proud of.

“When I arrived at the course this morning I was really happy to see the amount of juniors who came out to compete. This is a fantastic event for junior golfers on the island, I hope there’s more to come. Every junior event really matters because it gives us an opportunity to compete against one another. I would love to see more consistent tournaments happening here like this.

“Also it was nice to see Camiko Smith out there supporting the juniors as well and a strong turnout of parent support.”

Punching well above their weight, playing is Lewis MacFarlane, who leads the White Division by a commanding seven shots after signing off with a six-over 60.

“I thought I played well. I had a couple of blow-up holes, but I did have a couple of birdies that kind of took the blow-up holes away, which is nice,” he said.

The 11-year-old Warwick Academy student, who is playing in the White Division for the first time, also found the blustery conditions challenging.

“In the crosswinds it was much more difficult because you had to aim it out away on the left or the right,” he added.

Cole Graham (67) sits in second in the White Division and Lachlan Soutter (69) in third with 18 holes left to play.

William Leman (21 points) holds a four-shot lead in the Red Division followed by Freddie Jones (17) and Joshua Cann (10) in second and third. Arthur Cooper (26) leads the Gold Division by one shot over second-placed Loran McGlynn (25). Poppy Parry (23) sits in third, a further two back.