Canadian Tour pro Joe Horowitz blazed his way to the top of the leaderboard on the second day of the Gosling?s Invitational at Belmont Hills yesterday, firing a course-record equalling six-under-par 64 to open up a four-shot cushion.

The American, who, unlike local pro Michael Sims, narrowly failed to make it to the final stage of PGA Tour Q School two weeks ago, was clearly intent on putting that disappointment behind him ? playing the front nine in an incredible six-under par and registering just one bogey the entire round.

Horowitz has a two-round total of 136 for the tournament having carded a two-over par round of 72 on day one ? a round made difficult by some extremely blustery conditions.

Hot on his heels, however, is the familiar figure of P.H.Horgan, a Nationwide Tour stalwart and three-time Bermuda Open champion, who also shot a 64 yesterday having had to play the first round with a set of borrowed clubs after his golf bag didn?t make it onto the flight from the US.

With clubs loaned from a variety of different sources, Horgan cobbled together a respectable first round score of 76, and after two days sits at even par and tied for second along with American Tim Conley, this year?s Open champion.

First-round leader Jerry Bruner, who handled the wind on day one with aplomb in shooting an even-par 70, wasn?t able to take advantage of the more benign conditions and shot a 72 yesterday ? leaving him at three-over for the tournament along with another American pro Kirk Hanefield.

Defending Invitational champion Delroy Cambridge has so far struggled to impose himself this year on the 6, 100-yard course with the famously tricky greens, and finds himself tied for 16th on nine-over ? some 11 shots behind the leader.

Of the Bermudians in the field, the top-ranked so far is former European Tour pro Kim Swan ? the UBP Senator lying in ninth overnight on five-over with rounds of 74 and 72.

Dwayne Pearman, meanwhile, is tied for 11th place on plus seven.

?Yesterday was kind of a survival day given the wind, but today the conditions were a lot more suited to low scoring and I was really happy with the way I played,? said leader Horowitz last night.

?The wind was something like 25 to 30 knots during round one and it?s very difficult to be aggressive or to control the ball in those sorts of conditions. But today the wind dropped right down and I was six-under on the front nine.

?I didn?t do anything too adventurous. I took a lot of irons off the tee and was hitting my approach shots really well ? I don?t think I had a put outside ten feet on the front nine which gave me lots of birdie opportunities.

?But I?ve got to keep doing what I?m doing. I know what good players PH and Tim are and I know I?m going to have to shoot under par every day to win the tournament.?

The Gosling?s Invitational continues today and tomorrow at Belmont Hills.