Keighley professional Mike Bradley won the Bradford Open for the second time in a dramatic play-off after one of the most controversial championships in recent years at Cleckheaton.

Bradley finally got the better of a determined Mark Evans from West Bradford at the fourth extra hole after a classic amateur v professional scrap.

But the biggest talking point was the contentious pin positions that saw more than 20 of the 64-strong field fail to complete the 36 holes.

At least eight players refused to go out for the second 18 in the afternoon in a protest at the difficult placements and one group of three walked off the second green - one of the toughest of all - and went straight back to the clubhouse!

Even winner Bradley conceded: "I don't think the best player out there has won today. There was nothing wrong with the course today, but there were some very silly pin positions to say the least. I certainly have not played at my best, but I've still won."

The problems made a mockery of home professional Mike Ingham's prediction that the winner would return in the region of 135. In the end it needed a play-off after Evans and Bradley tied on 144.

Either could have avoided the need for a play-off with Evans taking a double bogey six at the 16th in his second round 76 and Bradley dropping three shots on the last two holes of his second round 74.

In the end he recovered from a poor first shot at the first extra hole to grab a par and pars for both players down the 18th and back up the first left it in the balance going to the 18th again.

Evans, who had been unable to take part in a play-off for the Bingley Scratch Open in midweek and conceded, hit a great drive but landed in the first bunker in front of the green and then chipped over the green.

Despite a great rescue shot he took a five and conceded with Bradley, winner of the Open at Bingley St Ives eight years ago, nine feet away from the hole in two.

It was a more exciting finish than the event might have expected with so much dissatisfaction at the flag positions.

But home captain Richard Asquith, who had supervised the course preparation the day before, insisted: "The greenkeeper put the pin positions under my instructions. The intention was to make the course difficult."

But Bradford Union president Ralph Lowther was unhappy at the way their biggest day of the year had worked out.

"It was a disappointment to see so many players fail to complete the course," he said. "Some players have handled it better than others, but it has not been easy.

"We will be discussing the matter at the earliest opportunity. It may be that we will need to take more control over the way Bradford Union events are arranged."

Ingham's assessment of the day summed it up as he finished his second round. "I feel like I've just been 15 rounds with Mike Tyson," he admitted.

As it turned out, players worried about harming their handicaps needn't have been concerned. Neither round counted for handicap purposes.

Competition secretary Alan Barraclough said: "I've never had a non-counting round in ten years of Bradford Union events - and now I've had two on one day!"

Evans had the best round in the morning with his one under par 69 followed by Skipton's Paul Pethybridge with 69. In the afternoon Northcliffe's James Firth shot one over 70 with Karl Curran (South Bradford), Chris Hargreaves (Baildon) and Lee Shepherd (Cleckheaton) returning 72s.