Amateur Travis Smyth is in control at the Northern Territory PGA Championship being played at Palmerston Golf Course.

Starting the third round tied for the lead with PGA Trainee Frazer Droop, Smyth opened with back-to-back birdies before eventually shooting 5-under 66.

The 22-year-old heads into the final round on 15-under the card with a four shot lead.

“I got off to a good start, I wasn’t feeling nervous, but making birdie on the first two holes definitely made me feel more relaxed,” said Smyth.

“Good shots kept flowing. I only hit two bad shots that I wasn’t really happy with and somehow I managed to make par on both of those holes.”

With his PGA Professional, John Serhan, on the bag Smyth plotted his way around the course not putting a foot wrong.

“Every time John is at a tournament, which isn’t often for me, I seem to play well,” added Smyth who has made just one bogey this week.

“I haven’t really been too flustered on the golf course, I am hitting it in a lot of really good positions and the putts are going in. It feels kind of easy and I hope tomorrow is exactly the same.

“I will probably feel a little bit nervous but I am playing the golf course so great I feel like it’s hard to get negative about my game.”

Leading the chasing pack on Sunday is defending champion Jordan Zunic, Marcus Both and Darren Beck.

Working themselves into contention Zunic and Beck, who is also coached by Serhan, each fired 4-under 68 in the third round.

Both fired the equal round of the day, 7-under 64, to earn his place in the final group. Also shooting 64 were Andrew Martin and James Gibellini who moved into the top-10.

At 10-under the card and five shots off the lead Deyen Lawson and Max McCardle round out the top-5.

The fourth round of the Northern Territory PGA Championship will tee off at 9.20am with Smyth, Beck and Both on course at 11am.