RICHARD Wheatley enjoyed the perfect birthday present on Sunday, as he became just the second golfer since 1962 to win the Bradford Open for a third year running.

Phil Wood (1995-97) is the only other man to achieve the feat since Rodney Foster's heroics in the swinging Sixties, putting Wheatley in esteemed company.

And with his first child on the way next month, it was no surprise to hear the 43-year-old Bradford Golf Club member sound so chirpy when speaking to the T&A.

He triumphed at Skipton on Sunday in a play-off against Bracken Ghyll’s Jack Lampkin, who won the Bradford Amateur Strokeplay Championship last month.

Wheatley reflected: “I was looking to see when the last person had won three in a row, so that’s not a bad stat is it, the second in 60 years?

“It was a nice birthday present and came just a few days after I’d won the Rose Bowl at Pannal for the first time in 20 years.”

In tricky conditions, Wheatley and Lampkin both finished eight over, the former’s superb up and down forcing a play-off before he won on the second extra hole.

He laughed: “It’s always better to win by loads and not have a play-off, but the wind messed with your head, as I’d be hitting a wedge 190 yards down wind, then a five-iron 120 yards into the wind.

“The wind would dip your shots downwind too so you could end up shorter than expected.

“Par was probably about three or four over what was listed, and meant nothing, it was just about trying to win and playing each hole as low as you could, even if that was a bogey.”

Asked if the nerves were jangling on the final hole and the two play-off ones, Wheatley said: “You don’t really feel the pressure, and you just need to stick to what you’re doing.

“I didn’t putt well all day, but I had some short game lessons at the start of the year, so I stuck to what I was taught, trusted my stroke on the final hole and the putt went in.

“The play-off is basically just matchplay, aiming for the fairway, then the green, making the other guy get a birdie.”

Wheatley was in the final group alongside Lampkin and eventual joint-third Dan Clarke-Coates (Baildon) and said: “We knew what was going because we looked online to see the other scores, asked each other what we were on, then had a wry smile when we saw it was us three in the lead with a few holes to go.

“It kept changing hands, and Dan was actually ahead after the 16th, but finished with a six and five, while Jack and I went four and four.

“The two of us weren’t sure it was a play-off, and I joked with Jack that I might not have enough battery in my trolley to go back round.

“It was a shame Jack had to lose as I respect him, he’s a top lad and one of the nicest gents around, but then that’s the way golf goes.”

Looking ahead, Wheatley won the Yorkshire Amateur Championship last August, but the potential defence of his crown clashes with an important life event.

He said: “My first child is due on August 21, and the tournament takes place on August 22, 23 and 24.

“My wife’s been amazing, telling me to go off and play and just keep my phone on me.

“Yorkshire have asked me to play a few events for them too, but they’ve been understanding, as I’ve told them my wife and kid come first.”