THE Bradford Open takes place tomorrow at Bingley St Ives Golf Club, with the showpiece event making a welcome return back to 36 holes.

The premier tournament in the Bradford Golf Union’s calendar will have a field of 47 players, with no shortage of candidates in line to take the crown.

Excited Union president Simon Tabel said: “The only reason it was 18 holes last year was because of thunderstorms, so we’re hoping to avoid the threat of the weather this time.

“But it’s great to have the tournament restored to 36 holes for the first time since 2019, like last month’s Amateur Strokeplay, because prestigious competitions like that should be over 36 holes.”

It will be a long day for those competing, and talking about the mental and physical toll of playing that many holes in one day, Tabel said: “A 36-hole day, for the younger ones in particular, is not such a physical demand.

“But it is harder from a mental point of view, because you’ve got to keep your concentration for about eight hours, particularly in those crucial last nine holes, as that’s when you can see mistakes creep in.

“The winner on Sunday is likely to be the one who copes best mentally and physically with the pressure.

“Bingley St Ives is a well-known and well-respected test, and its moorland holes are likely to be where the tournament will be decided.”

Tabel admitted a group he would be keeping an eye on is the trio of Richard Wheatley, Rob Hillas and Jack Lampkin, who head out together at around 10:40am.

Wheatley is the reigning Bradford Open champion, while Hillas won the Amateur Strokeplay last month, so they are obvious names to watch out for.

But how about Lampkin?

Tabel said: “Jack’s a very consistent performer, who we’ve not seen much in the Bradford competitions.

“But he’s a regular prize winner for the Yorkshire team and he’s displayed great performances for his club, Bracken Ghyll.”

As for some other contenders, Tabel said: “Calum Hey has won the Open three times, but I’m not sure how much golf he’s played recently.

“But he’s playing here at the weekend and he’s very talented.

“Another pro I’m looking forward to seeing is Jordan Clements.

“He’s enjoying his first pro season, has appeared on the PGA EuroPro Tour, and he’s worth watching on Sunday.”

Tomorrow’s hosts, Bingley St Ives, had five players in the Bradford side that had their first Yorkshire Inter-District Union win of the season last weekend at York, after two defeats to start the campaign.

Tabel said: “It’s always good to see that first win on the board.

“We have a strong squad, but we are bringing new players in and blooding some younger ones.

“It’s paying off and we will go from strength to strength.

“All our games have been close this season, and though York lost 21-15 to us, it could have gone either way.

“But we just had a bit of additional strength in our closing singles matches.”