DAVID PATTERSON had never played in the Durham County Championship before but he reminded the region of his golfing talent with a triumphant debut this week.

Playing in only his second tournament since serving a two-year exile imposed by the R&A while he regained his amateur status, the former professional became the first member of Seaham to win the county crown in 43 years last Sunday.

It was the perfect result for Patterson, following years of falling out of love with the sport after losing a golfing business and relinquishing his pro card.

But, reminded by those around him he still had an enormous amount of ability and too much of it to pack away his clubs, the 34-year-old found his best form ahead of schedule at Durham City to win the County Championship from Andrew Bell (Durham) by one shot.

Now, given his speedy rise back to the top echelons of the local scene, Patterson already has plans for playing in the top amateur events over the next few years.

"I turned professional at 17, as soon as I left school, so I had no time to be playing in the big amateur events, and that includes the County Championship," said the fire engineer with the Peterlee Fire Company, who hails from Trimdon Village.

"I was never able to have an amateur career so I'm looking forward to what lies ahead. I want to play in all of the big events, but I realise that will come in time rather than the next few months.

"I really didn't expect to have gone on and won the County Championship at the first time of asking. I would have hoped to have done that eventually, but this is a great boost for me."

As Durham champion, he automatically has a place on the county team this season. He is relishing the opportunity to play when he can and his two recent successes - including finishing fourth in the Seaton Salver - have spurred him on.

Patterson, a former professional at Stressholme, George Washington and Whitburn, was close to storing his golf clubs away in his loft for good until his friends and family intervened.

"Since losing my business and becoming an amateur again I had become so disillusioned that I had just about had enough of golf," said the former champion of the North-East North-West Professionals. "All I had known from an early age was golf and I just got so frustrated until I started to play locally again. It was my brother-in-law (Neil Grimley), my wife Nicola's cousin (Graeme Herron) and my friend, Kevin Booth, who are all responsible.

"We all regularly go out in a fourball and they would tell me I was too good to throw it all away and stop playing completely."

It was Booth, a member at Seaham, who coaxed him into becoming a member there. Now, less than six months later, he has secured the club's first County champion since Jack Sanderson won at Wearside in 1962.

"I haven't been there that long but I have had the captain (Craig Pharoah) and members of the committee congratulating me,"

said Patterson. "

* Leading scores: D Patterson 288 (Seaham); A Bell 289 (Durham City); R Moon 291 (Billingham), L McCavanagh 291 (Woodham), R Lee 291 (Tyneside); S Brown 294 (Castle Eden), C Hewitt 294 (Beamish Park); G Marchbank 296 (Durham City), S Dance 296 (Ramside); M Curry 298 (Brancepeth Castle), G Cooper 298 (Brancepeth Castle).