South Shields’ Martin McCririck clinched his second Durham County Championship with an extra-time victory over Seaham’s Grant Dixon at Blackwell Grange.
In a scoring blitz over four rounds – which saw the players post 24 rounds under par as well as a hole-in-one and an albatross – Martin followed up his 2011 win in the event with rounds of 72, 70, 72 and 68 to post a 72-hole total of 282 and tie with Grant (72-67-73-70).
Martin could have won in normal time after he went to the turn in 30 in the final round after making four birdies. He picked up another on the back nine but dropped shots at 17 and 18 as he shot 68. Grant meanwhile made a crucial birdie at 16 on his way to a round of 70 to force a three-hole playoff.
In the playoff Martin, a three-time county order of merit winner, produced a superb shot into the second extra hole to make a birdie and shoot one under-par – one better than Grant.
There was a small consolation for the Seaham player as he recorded an albatross at the 10th, and collected the Nelson Jubilee Medal as the 36-hole leader.
Meanwhile, Consett’s John Kennedy – who posted a total of 283 along with Ben Willis (South Shields) and the host club’s Adam Rochester – made an ace at the fourth hole during the event.
