HAWORTH golfer Will Whiteoak is hoping he can take his record-breaking form into Open qualifying later this month.

The 20-year-old set a new course record of 63 at his club Shipley amid a string of top performances.

His eight-under par round came between eye-catching displays in qualifiers for the English Amateur Strokeplay Championship and the County Championship.

The plus-three handicapper broke the four-year-old record of 64 at Shipley held by Danny Rowley, thanks to a superb showing in the club’s Saturday medal.

A stunning start saw Whiteoak six under after just five holes, having birdied the first three holes and the fifth, with an eagle at the par-five fourth.

An outward 31 was followed by an inward 32, with two more birdies and one bogey at the 14th.

Whiteoak, whose playing partner on the day was Keighley member Calum Hey, said: “We had a look at the weather forecast and saw it was going to rain by about 10am so we went out early at 6.45am.

“Conditions were good at that time. There was no wind and it was quite warm.

“I’d been hitting all right for quite a while and not been scoring that well but I still felt I left some shots out there.

“I didn’t hole many long putts but I was good with my irons into the green from around 150 yards.

“Obviously getting to six under so early on meant I did think about the record a bit.

“But I just tried to take it each shot at a time.

“I just hope I can keep this form going now as I have some big events at the end of the month.”

Whiteoak is aiming to make it past regional open qualifying at Clitheroe on June 23.

Two days earlier he is due to play in the prestigious Berkshire Trophy and on June 25 he will tee off in the English Amateur Strokeplay Championship (the Brabazon Trophy) at Seaton Carew, having made it through the northern qualifier in joint second place. That saw him card a bogey-free 66 at Ringway Golf Club near Manchester.

Just days after his record-breaking exploits, Whiteoak also shone for Yorkshire as they won the Northern Counties qualifier at Ganton. He was the lowest scorer for his side, his second-round 69 being the only sub-70 score of the day. Yorkshire will now head to Royal North Devon for the finals in September.