Winds that gusted up towards 50km/h sent the scoring average soaring to 75.73 on the par 72 Kurrai Course at Nudgee Golf Club, pars tasting as good as birdies as players did their best to ride the gusts into the undulating greens.

Co-leader through two rounds, Carter called on all of his experience playing the windswept Links Lady Bay layout on South Australia’s Fleurieu Peninsula for a round of one-over 73 and five-under total.

That is two shots to the better of this week’s roomie Lachy Barker (70) who is tied with Redcliffe’s Doug Klein (72) and Sydney’s John Lyras (74) in a share of second at three-under, Victorian Ben Wharton (70) rounding out the top five at two-under.

In the first year of the PGA Membership Pathway Program at The Stirling Golf Club in the Adelaide Hills, Carter gave no indication that this is just his fourth start on the ISPS HANDA PGA Tour of Australasia.

After dropped shots at two and four he recovered with birdies at the downwind 12th and 15th holes, hitting gorgeous iron shots and making crucial up and downs when needed.

It was at around the seventh hole that the mobile leaderboard showed Barker’s name just behind, setting up a Sunday showdown between two mates who have arrived on very different paths.

As Barker was completing a Double Major in Finance and Business Analytics while playing college golf for Iowa State University, Carter was back in Adelaide working as a concreter.

They finished two shots apart at Final Stage of Qualifying School in July to both earn their cards and now face off for the opportunity of a maiden professional win.

“I absolutely love the fact that we are both here,” said Carter, who credited his caddie Richie for holding his round together in such challenging conditions.

“The best thing between me and Lachy is that we have a lot of respect for each other’s game. I know 100 per cent that when he wakes up tomorrow morning he will come out here and try and flog me and he knows that that is my exact same goal as well.

“I had just this little feeling that something like this might happen. We were talking about it after Round 2. He just looked at me and said, ‘Jak, I’m coming for you.’

“Lo and behold, his name sits right under mine on the leaderboard.”

While his pedigree is devoid of college experience or even significant success as an amateur, Barker has known the quality of Carter’s game for close to a decade.

“I always knew he was good,” said Barker.

“He’s got a very unique way of playing the game. Hits it high, uses the wind, so a course like this is great for him.

“He has very good self-belief in what he can do. I know that he knows he’s good enough and I think that is half the battle.

“It might have taken him a few years but now he’s there and he’s one to watch.”

Given the forecast of further strong winds on Sunday the great mates won’t have it all their own way.

Klein will also play in the final group after going 17 holes bogey-free on Saturday while Lyras, Wharton and the five players tied for sixth at one-under are still well within reach.

Staying at his home in Redcliffe just 15 minutes to the north, Klein will likely draw support from his home club on Sunday as he seeks to improve on his tie for fifth at last week’s Victorian PGA.

“Moonah’s never a course that I’ve ever done well at so it was nice to play good down there,” said Klein, who was also tied for 15th at the WA Open.

“It definitely dials in your game and I’m feeling it this week, so I think it’s paying off.

“Nudgee wasn’t very kind to me in January but I’m only at Redcliffe so I snuck out a couple of times since then and it’s been good.”

Nudgee favourite Scott Hend threatened to play his way into the final groups but dropped to a share of 16th with a bogey-triple bogey finish.

The two hardest holes on Saturday were the back nine par 3s, the 11th playing to an average of 3.67 and the 18th 3.63.

Round 4 will commence at 8.08am on Sunday morning with the final group to tee off at 11.25am AEST.