THERE is a double reason to celebrate for County Durham PE teacher John Kirkpatrick, who can’t stop winning.

Kirkpatrick tamed the winds to win the English Senior Men’s County Champion of Champions tournament by five strokes at Woodhall Spa - when he had to make a major decision on whether to play or not.

The Ramside Hall member has only just joined the Senior ranks and after starting with a four-under, he then went three-under for 36 holes as he claimed the title at his first attempt.

But the main reason that he was so pleased to win was because “I missed my son’s engagement party (the night before) so I was under a bit of pressure!”

Now he has a double celebration is on the cards, in fact this year keeps getting better after succeeding plenty of times over the years.

Kirkpatrick’s latest triumph follows an impressive set of county honours which spans four decades. He won the Cumbria county championship as an 18-year-old, followed up with the RAF championship in 1986 and then won the Durham men’s county championship five years ago and added the Durham seniors this year.

Kirkpatrick opened his challenge with a score of one-over 74 on the Hotchkin course and he trailed Bedfordshire’s Philip Sutton (Dunstable Downs) by three shots.

Then, with stiff winds blowing, the pair went out together in the final group and Fitzpatrick had caught his rival after three holes and held a two shot lead by the turn.

He played the front nine in three-under and, despite heading into the winds on the way in, he was one-under on the homeward half.

“I didn’t have a three-putt in 36 holes and the greens were rapid, so I was pleased with that,” said Kirkpatrick, who plays off plus-two. “And I didn’t have a double bogey.”

He teaches PE at the Durham Sixth Form Centre, which boasts a golf academy.

“We’ve got some very good young golfers, especially girls. We’ve sent four to American universities in the last couple of years,” he said.

Sutton finished as runner-up on two-over par, while Cheshire’s Martyn Grimley (Ringway) was third on six-over, having shot one-under today.

TEENAGER Cameron Wallace burnt up the Seaton Carew links on separate occasions to break a 44-year-old Old Course record not once but twice within a week.

And the 18-year-old hopes his brilliant score will prove hard to beat for plenty of years to come.

The plus two handicapper initially hit a brilliant 64 (66) in the Gray Trophy and yet that was still only good enough to put him into second spot despite setting a new course record.

But a week later in the Lytham Trophy his great form continued and he went round better still.

Wallace’s fantastic round included an eagle, eight birdies and a stunning back nine of 29 as he blitzed the course in 62 to take the trophy - and enter the record books again.

Wallace said: “Everyone at the club was over the moon I think because finally someone had broken the record and this should stand for a lot of years.

“For the 64 I didn’t really miss anything, I could’ve possibly holed a couple more putts but couldn’t complain, could I?

“Then for the 62 I got off to a scrappy start, struggled for the first five holes and then found a swing and didn’t miss.

“I remember standing on the 16th tee at eight under and thinking maybe I could pick up one more to break my own record. I holed a long putt on 16 to get to nine under, then hit it too eight feet on 17 and missed.

“But I hit it close on 18 and holed it and it felt great to break it as the best Old Course record of 66 had stood for 44 years.”

Wallace has had a brilliant year. He is looking to do well in the Lee Westwood Trophy having already won the College Nationals and finished runner up in the College Boys’ Championship.