Baildon's Simon Bell beat the elements and a quality field to win the 52nd Bradford Open Championship at windswept Keighley yesterday.

Bell carded 143 for his two rounds which put him a shot ahead of Andrew Brown (Bingley) and Lee Shephed (Cleckheaton).

The conditions were not easy - the sponsor's beer tent on the ninth hole blew away in the morning but Thwaites still managed to hand out refreshments to the crowd.

Bell scored a 70 in the morning followed by a 73 in the afternoon.

He said: "I played pretty solid but early on the conditions were really rough.

"It got better as the day went on. I thought I had blown it at one stage because I went plus four.

"But I have had some good form this year and I got the shots back.

"I have got the English amateur next week and I am pretty confident about my golf.

"My putter is working well. So far so good."

Cleckheaton's Lee Shepherd carded a marvellous 69 in the first round but followed that up with a disappointing 75.

He said: "It was nice to win the Jim Wade Trophy for best combined score from the Bradford Amateur and Open - but it would have been nice to have won the Open.

"I didn't play well enough overall. I had a double bogey on the first hole in the afternoon. I had a lot of long irons to hit and I just didn't hit them well enough. Then I missed a putt on the 18th which would have taken me into a play-off."