Keighley caddie Billy Foster is enjoying a sparkling year as Darren Clarke continues to lead the European Order of Merit.

Clarke's latest success came on Sunday when a last-round birdie blitz won the English Open at Forest of Arden. The defending champion picked up £130,390 to stretch his lead at the top of the Order of Merit over Colin Montgomerie, who has led the table for the last seven years.

Clarke was 10 shots adrift of New Zealander Michael Campbell after two rounds in the English Open, and six behind starting the final day. But a superb 65 which included 10 birdies - four on the trot from the 13th - left Campbell and last year's Ryder Cup captain Mark James trailing in joint second place.

Earlier this year the Ulsterman beat world number one Tiger Woods in the final of the World Matchplay Championships in California to win a million dollar purse, and is now full of confidence for the US Open next week.

Billy, who now lives at Harden, is no stranger to success, having carried the bag of Seve Ballesteros through good times as well as bad before joining Clarke. He has caddied for both Seve and Darren in a number of successful Ryder Cup appearances.

n Silsden leapfrogged over Keighley at the bottom of the Bradford Scratch League First Division on Friday, thanks to a 6-2 home win over Rawdon.

Northcliffe thrashed Bingley St Ives 8-0 and moved to just one point behind leaders Baildon with a game in hand. Baildon shared the points at West Bradford.

Branshaw moved six points clear of bottom club Ben Rhydding after their 6-2 win in the Third Division, while Skipton lost by the same score at second-placed Calverley. Riddlesden kept up their good form in the Fourth Division with a 5-3 victory over West Bowling, and are only three points behind leaders Hollins Hall.

Scratch League Results

First Division: Northcliffe 8, Bingley St Ives 0 (G Evans bt J Mountain 3 & 2, M Bell bt M Parnaby 2 & 1, M Cook bt A Brown 1 up, J Firth bt R Wheatley 1 up); Silsden 6, Rawdon 2 (M Buckley bt P Davies 2 up, A Mawson lost to P White 2 down, A Clarke bt E Shoard 6 & 4, P Davies bt D Wood 2 & 1); West Bradford 4, Baildon 4.

Second Division: Bradford 5, Shipley 3; Cleckheaton 4, Woodhall Hills 4; Fulneck 4, Ghyll 4.

Third Division: Branshaw 6, Ben Rhydding 2 (R Chester bt T Lockwood 5 & 4, D Eeles bt D Midgeley 3 & 2, J Proctor lost to A Clark 4 & 3, G Whiteoak bt A Atkins 5 & 4); Calverley 6, Skipton 2 (D Rands bt P Pethybridge 5 & 4, R Hall lost to R Addyman 1 down, P French bt D Grant 2 & 1, C Hustwith bt A Carling 2 & 1); South Bradford 2, Headley 6.

Fourth Division: East Bierley 6, Bracken Ghyll 2; Riddlesden 5, West Bowling 3 (M Scarborough halved with S Moriarty, B Dean bt M Mullaney 3 & 1, A Barraclough bt R Simpson 4 & 2, A Heap lost to B Hannan 2 & 1); The Manor 2, Hollins Hall 6.

Branshaw - Open Seniors 4BBB: 1 Len Abbott and Geoff Sutcliffe 40pts, 2 Geoff Powell and David Bromage 38pts, 3 Tom Wilson and Bill Atkins 38pts, nearest pin on 13th Malcolm Gee. 4BBB Medal: 1 Peter Hainsworth and Geoff Moulds 60, 2 Richard Chester and Jimmy Brown 62, 3 Mick Anderson and Jon Currie 62, 4 Keith Todd and Ian Dickie 63, 5 Bill Atkins and Peter Thompson 63, 6 Owen Bailey and Jim Crabtree 63, 7 Geoff Powell and David Bromage 63; nearest pin on 13th Terry Fahy; nearest in two on 17th R Keating. Mid-Week Medal: 1 Owen Bailey 64, 2 Peter Wilkinson 66.

Silsden - Memorial Cup: 1 Jonathan Smith 68-8-60, 2 Eric Middleton 77-16-61, 3 Steve Thorne 78-17-61. Trevor Hobson Trophy: 1 Eric Middleton 77-16-61, 2 John Mulcahy 81-17-64, 3 Dale Gatenby 82-16-66. 0-15 Medal: 1 PA Robinson 60, 2 Robert Cave 61, 3 Colin Edwards 62.

Ladies Section - Medal 4, 1st Division: 1 Claire Starkie 81-18-63, 2 Monica Davis 98-24-74; 2nd Division: 1 J Abbott 101-37-64. Medal 5, 1st Division: 1 Pat Challis 89-22-67, 2 Barbara Saddington 84-26-68; 2nd Division: 1 Betty Crabtree 94-27-67. Medal 6, 1st Division: 1 Claire Starkie 79-16-63, 2 Pat Challis 95-22-73; 2nd Division: 1 Hazel Gore 97-30-67, 2 J Abbott 101-34-67.

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