IF JIMMY White wins the Benson and Hedges Snooker Championship in Malvern the chances are he will celebrate with nothing stronger than a glass of mineral water.

White is once again the star attraction of the 12-day tournament at the Willie Thorne Snooker Centre in Malvern which starts tomorrow afternoon.

And on current form the 38-year-old six times world championship runner-up is firm favourite for the £5,000 first prize and wild card entry to the 2001 Benson & Hedges Masters at Wembley next February.

White has been rolling back the years this season after his momentous decision to ban the booze. "I'm living clean," he said recently and that means fewer nights spent at the bar and more hours at the practice table.

White's dedication has been rewarded with a string of fine results that have catapulted him back into the world's top 16 elite ranked players.

Six weeks ago he reached the final of the British Open in Plymouth only for Peter Ebdon to deny him his first major trophy for a staggering eight years.

That was followed by a run to the semi-finals of the Grand Prix at Telford where it took world champion, world number one and former B&H Champion Mark Williams to halt his progress.

And just for good measure there was success in the qualifying event for the Scottish Masters, where victory over last season's world championship semi-finalist Joe Swail booked his ticket to the main event.

As a result the ever-popular Londoner has risen from 18th on the rankings to number nine on the provisional list.

"I always knew I could be a force again and this new lifestyle seems to be paying off," he says.

"The incentive for me coming to Malvern is to win that wild card for Wembley. The Masters is my home tournament and I want to make sure I'm in it.

"We've played a lot of snooker already this season and I started to feel a bit tired in Scotland last week. But I've re-charged the batteries and ready for the challenge."

White is seeded through to round three and doesn't make his first appearance until November 11.

But he could face a tricky opening test if the form book stays true. White will face Joe Meara or more likely promising Stephen Maguire who last Friday achieved something neither Stephen Hendry or John Higgins ever managed -- becoming the first Scot to capture the IBSF World amateur title.

Essex professional Ali Carter, one of six 'young players of distinction' earmarked for stardom by the game's governing body, is back to retain the title.

Carter went on from Malvern to earn a memorable victory over snooker legend Steve Davis in the B&H Masters at Wembley last February. He is determined to defend his trophy.

Welsh Wizard Williams, Ronnie O'Sullivan and current Benson & Hedges Masters champion Matthew Stevens are among the big name, former winners of the title.