Richard Wheatley won the Bingley Scratch Open with a breathtaking play-off eagle two and is now installed as firm favourite to lift the Bradford Open a week on Sunday.

The Bingley event - open to anyone with a handicap of six or better - has become a popular competition at St Ives since it was launched in 1997 and local player Wheatley knows he has a marvellous chance of winning the prestigious Bradford Open on the same course a week on Sunday.

Wheatley is playing the best golf of his career. He won the Pannal Rose Bowl for a second time and has been ranked inside the Top 20 of the English Golf Union's Order of Merit.

This week at sunny St Ives he was taken to a play-off by another Bingley player, Jamie Mountain, but he calmly won the tournament with an eagle two at the first hole of the play-off.

Wheatley and Mountain had tied after carding 140 for their two rounds. Mountain, who plays for Bradford alongside Wheatley, said: "I won the toss for the play-off and put Richard in first. It wasn't my best decision because he drove the ball to about six feet from the pin. I put mine in the greenside bunker and managed to get the ball to within two feet but Richard then calmly stroked in his putt."

Wheatley thanked his caddy, Richard Long, for showing him the right line.

"I owe a lot to Longy for that read," he said. "I knew Jamie was going to be the player to beat - he has been shooting some great scores over the last few weeks. But we are still good mates!"

Wheatley had carded an impressive 69 in the morning round, matched by Yorkshire player Fraser Kelly. Kelly fell away in the afternoon and another Yorkshire county player, Steve Brennan (a former winner of the Bingley Open) disappointed with two 75s.

The shot of the day belonged to Keighley's Alistair Houldsworth who holed in one at the par three fourth hole in the afternoon.

That enabled him to card a 69 after a morning session which brought him a disappointing 81.

The best round of the day went to Moortown's Nick McCarthy who shot a 66 in the afternoon after an 80 in the morning.