WILL Whiteoak may have won the Bradford Open Championship when it was played at Shipley in 2012 but confesses: "I can't explain it but I never play well at this time of year."

However, maybe the 21-year-old from Haworth, who works as a lifeguard in the winter at Keighley Leisure Centre, is being a little harsh on himself ahead of this year's staging of the championship at Keighley on Sunday.

For example, the Shipley member recently shot 71 at Notts Golf Club in the second round of the Brabazon Trophy (the Men's Open Amateur Strokeplay Championship) and only just missed out on qualifying in the Regional Open Qualifying at Moortown.

"I played the par-fives in eight over," explained Whiteoak of his first-round 83 in the Brabazon, "missed a couple of up and downs, and lost two balls at the 17th, where I took a ten.

"But it was back to normal in the second round, and if I had shot a 71 in the first round I would have been right in contention."

Whiteoak's ten-over-par total of 154 meant that he missed the cut by six shots, with winner Cormac Sharvin shooting a seven-under-par 2181 (71, 73, 67, 70).

As for Moortown, where Whiteoak's 73 left him tied for 12th and one shot adrift of some of the qualifiers, he said: "I was one under after 12 but it started raining heavily for my next three holes, and I bogeyed the 13th, 14th and 18th, but I played quite well overall."

Branshaw's Daryl Ley was the only other Bradford area golfer to compete and shot 75.

Looking ahead to Sunday, Shipley member Whiteoak said: "I rejoined Keighley last August to play some social golf with my mates but I don't play the course that often.

"I would like to think that I will be in with a chance of winning if I play well but contenders are Bradford Amateur champion Andy Town and Dane Bairstow (both Bingley St Ives), James Firth (Hollins Hall) and Danny Rowley (Shipley)."

Town and Bairstow are first out at 7.30am alongside Mark Cook (Northcliffe), while Rowley, who won the event the last time it was played at Keighley in 2009, opens up ten minutes later with Mark Weighman (The Manor) and the fancied Calum Hey (Keighley).

Whiteoak, who starts at 9.30am with Joe Copperwaite (Branshaw) plus reigning Bradford Open champion – and Yorkshire captain – Darryl Berry (Bingley St Ives), added: "There are some funky holes, such as the 11th, but Keighley is a good course."

Along with the Bradford Amateur Championship, the Open has been brought forward in the calendar to ensure spare weekends are available at the back end of the season should they be needed in the event of bad weather.

Last year's Team Championship was washed out but there were no suitable dates left to reschedule it.