Yorkshire golf: Will Whiteoak looks in fine shape in Amateur championship

England B international Whiteoak shot a three-under-par 68 at Royal Porthcawl to stand ninth, two shots better than Meltham’s Jamie Bower, a member of England’s senior squad.

Masham’s Dan Brown had 71 and Moortown’s David Houlding 75.

At Pyle & Kenfig, Rotherham’s Jonathan Thomson carded 73, while The Oak’s James Walker and Steve Robins, of Hull, both shot 75.

Whiteoak began his round with a birdie, gave the shot back at hole four, but regained it immediately at five.

He sandwiched a second bogey of the day at the 11th with birdies at 10 and 12, and had a fifth birdie at his penultimate hole.

Bower did not drop a single shot, but gained only one, at the 15th, while Brown stumbled to a six at the 18th having gone into red figures with five birdies as against three bogeys.

Houlding was four over after six holes, but responded with three birdies in four holes from the seventh. However, he was slowed by a bogey at 12 and a double at 16.

Thomson was one under through 14 holes only to drop three shots in two holes.

Walker, meanwhile, began with six pars and a birdie before also dropping three shots in a couple of holes close to the turn.

He birdied 11 then shed further shots at holes 13, 15 and 17.

Robins had five bogeys in his round and just the one birdie, at the ninth.

The top 64 after two rounds go through to the match play.

France’s Antoine Rozner leads at Royal Porthcawl after a 64 while Andrew Wynyard’s 66 was the best first-round total at Pyle & Kenfig.