The Durham County Championship trophy finally resides in the Handy household.
It could have been there 20 years ago with James Handy’s name on it, but this year his 20-year-old son Chris added his name to the list of winners.
James, a former Durham County captain, lost a playoff to Stuart Ord in 1996 at South Moor and a bogey at the last three years later saw him miss out again at Barnard Castle.
Chris ended South Moor’s 43-year wait for a champion when he beat Hartlepool’s Jack Ainscough in a playoff at Wynyard.
He posted a superb six under-par 66 in the final round to tie Ainscough with a championship record 10 under-par before winning the three-hole playoff.
“My dad was there to watch and he came straight over to congratulate me,” said Chris. “I’d heard all about what happened when he went close a couple of times so I’m really pleased.”
Handy’s opening 74 left him chasing 17-year-old James Wilson from Tyneside – who eventually finished third – and Ainscough, also 17.
Rounds of 70 and 68 put him right back in the mix before a final 66.
“I started with three birdies in a row and made a really great par on the fourth where I was in the trees,” he said. “I hit it on to the second fairway and then hit a wedge to 20ft and holed it for a par which kept me going.
“I made birdie again on the next and had a lot of opportunities after that but didn’t hole many. I kept going and did make a few birdies on the back nine.”
In the playoff, Handy birdied the 16th as Ainscough made bogey before the 17th was shared in pars. At the 18th, Handy made a solid par while Ainscough was bunkered twice and made bogey to mean the trophy returned to South Moor.
