Rising golf star Richard Wheatley has broken the course record at Bingley St Ives - the day before his 20th birthday.

Richard shot the record 63 in the July Medal in thick fog on Saturday. Playing off one handicap, he won the Medal with a marvellous eight under par score, which included eight birdies, 10 pars and no dropped shots.

"It was a bit of a flyer really," says Richard, whose ambition is to turn professional. "I have shot a few 67s in the past, but this was my best ever round."

Richard started with a birdie on the par four first hole, and followed with a birdie four on the second. More birdies followed on the fourth and fifth, the seventh and eight as he went out in 30, and he also birdied the tenth and fifteenth to come back in 33.

His 63 beats the old course record set by Richard Jones of Wath Golf Club in 1997 by one shot.

Richard, who has been playing at St Ives since he was 14, has had his handicap reduced to scratch as a result of Saturday's round. He hopes to reach plus one handicap by the end of this year, and attributes much of his improvement to coaching from Peter Tupling at Sandmoor Golf Club.

Richard, who plays in the scratch team at St Ives, was going well in last week's Yorkshire Amateur Championship at Moortown before being struck on the head by a brick thrown by a gang of youths.

"I was one over par after one round and was playing well after 11 holes in the second when we were attacked," he says. His mother, Diane, was hit on the shin and Richard was hit on the back of the head.

"I felt a bit dizzy afterwards and didn't make the cut," he says.

n The Keighley Trophy event held annually at Keighley Golf Club has been cancelled this year due to lack of entries. The tournament is usually one of the biggest open scratch events on the Northern women's circuit and attracts a top class field.

Bingley St Ives - July Medal, 1st Division: 1 R Wheatley 63-1-62, 2 I Smith 70-7-63, 3 J Sugden 76-10-66, 4 A Wheatley 78-9-69; 2nd Division: 1 A Viqueira 85-15-70, 2 J Hobson 85-14-71, 3 P Richmond 84-13-71, 4 N Betts 84-13-71; 3rd Division: 1 A Hill 87-21-66, 2 A Bentley 95-27-68, 3 M Chalk 89-20-69, 4 N Green 95-26-69.

Branshaw - Tigers Open Day: 1 Steve Brown and David Eeles 61, 2 Peter Hainsworth and Ian Ratcliffe 61, 3 Stef Buckley and Mark Wilson 62, 4 Danny O'Driscoll and Darren O'Driscoll 63.

The Rabbits Open on Sunday was rained off, and has been re-arranged for Sunday September 3. Entries are still open, contact the professional on 01535 647441.

Silsden - July Medal, 1st Division: 1 Jonathan Smith 68-8-60, 2 Dave Roberts 75-13-62, 3 Alasdair Clarke 66-23-63; 2nd Division: 1 PA Robinson 73-14-59, 2 George Hitchon 77-17-60, 3 Malcolm Guy 75-15-60; 3rd Division: 1 Fred Abbatt 81-23-58, 2 Eddie Sendrowski 86-28-58, 3 John Ash 86-28-58.