YORKSHIRE amateur golfer Roger Roper steps back onto the big stage this weekend when he competes in the British Amateur Golf Championship at the Royal Liverpool course in the Wirral.

Roper, a partner in Ropers Caravan World at Catterick Bridge, is one of the county's leading golfers and represented England at amateur international level between 1984 and 1987. He has played more than 100 times for Yorkshire and was joint winner with Peter Baker of the English Open Championship in 1985.

After preparing for his latest challenge by finishing fourth in a field of 150 at the European Mid-amateur Championship in Nottingham, Roper said: "I am really looking forward to the British Amateur Championship, especially as it is being held on one of my favourite golf courses."

He certainly has enough experience to cope, having played with some of the sport's big names, including Colin Montgomerie. Roper partnered the Scot for Yorkshire and beat him into third place when he won the Youth Championship of Yorkshire in 1982.

He added: "I am fortunate to have a few excellent people in the family business who make it possible for me to prepare for and compete in these events.

"At this level of competition, failing to prepare is like preparing to fail because most of the young opponents are like professionals."