Golf: Richard Jones will be bidding to follow up his win in the first Yorkshire Merit event if the year when Bradford stage the Hawksworth Trophy on Saturday.

Jones, from Wath, finished one stroke ahead of the field in the Auchterlonie Spoon at Selby to make a perfect start in his attempt to recapture the title he won in its first year in 1997.

But he will come up against a strong field, with the Hawksworth event attracting an impressive line-up with half the field two handicap or less.

Bradford will mount one of their strongest challenges with four representatives, including former winner Chris Goodison and club champion Richard Bond.

West Bradford's latest county player Darryl Berry is in the field, but missing is clubmate Paul Thomas, who was third at Selby, five shots behind the winner after leading following the first round with a 65.

Thomas will be competing in the west of England championships at Saunton this weekend instead. And the following weekend he is hoping to win a late call for the Lytham Trophy after being put on the reserve list.

Sand Moor's Jon Sheehy is defending his Hawksworth Trophy title and he sets out with Hillsborough's Yorkshire matchplay champion Shaun Tarplett.

Club officials are keeping their fingers crossed that the weather will improve by the weekend with the course closed earlier this week because of waterlogging.

Course manager Trevor Eagle described conditions as 'appalling' but added: "We will be doing everything in our power to make sure the event goes ahead."

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.