Simon Bell revealed a tip from a friend had helped him win his second Bradford Open in four years.

After shooting rounds of 70 and 71 to win by three shots in difficult conditions at Cleckheaton, the Shipley golfer said: "That is probably the best I have struck it in a long time. I am really pleased to win the event again."

Bell, who won at Keighley in 2004, goes for lessons from England coach Graham Walker but it was some advice from Sean Wright, a former assistant-professional at Baildon, that helped make the difference.

"I set off really well by winning the Hawksworth Trophy this season. But I have not done too much after that and have not been hitting the ball as well as I wanted to," said Bell, who nevertheless made it to final Open qualifying last month.

"I was just practising with Sean and he gave me his opinion on something and what he said hit home. He got the camera out and gave me a bit of something to work on which was to do with my set-up - since then I've been ripping it."

His confidence off the tee allowed him to take on some of the risk-and-reward holes which saw him birdie the short ninth in the afternoon and almost reach the green on the par-four dog-leg tenth.

Bell's delight at his game from tee to green was in contrast to his frustration with his short game, a prime example being on the par-four last hole.

"I hit through the back of the last green which is about 370 yards and didn't get up and down," he said.

But he was not the only one to struggle on greens which had been hampered by the wet weather leading up to the event.

"Me and my playing partners missed so many putts,"

admitted Bell. "But everyone struggled on the greens."

The plus one handicapper - whose father Martin won the Bradford Open at Keighley in 1989 - confirmed his victory with one of his best shots of the day at the par three 17th, hitting a great five iron into the wind and holing for birdie. That gave him some breathing space ahead of runner-up Richard Masters from Baildon. He finished top professional with 144 (72, 72) ahead of West Bradford pro Warren Kemp, who was leading after the first round with a 69 but followed that up with a 75 and dropped to third as a result.

His club-mate Paul Thomas came fourth with 145 (76, 69), his second round being enough to win the Jim Wade Trophy (combined scores with the Bradford Amateur Strokeplay) by two shots from Bell. Host professional Warren Lockett, who had won a Leeds Cup qualifier during the previous week, came fifth, carding 74, 71.

Other top finishers were: 6 A Rhodes (Keighley) 146 (71, 75), 7 M Weighman (The Manor) 147 (74, 73), 8 C Hughes (Skipton) 147 (72, 75), 9 A Houldsworth (Bingley St Ives) 147 (71, 76), T10 D Bairstow (West Bradford) 148 (72, 76), T10 I Martin (Baildon) 148 (72, 76).