RICHARD AISBITT has celebrated a hat-trick of titles in 2015 and he saved the best until last when he struck national glory for the first time.

Not content with winning the Teesside Trophy and the Durham County Championship already this summer, the Brancepeth Castle golfer turned on the magic at the English Men’s Mid Amateur Championship (Logan Trophy).

He was the only player to have broken par at the end of the three rounds at Northumberland Golf Club, where he finished six under and six shots clear of Northumberland captain Andrew Minnikin.

“It’s not been a bad year for me has it,” said Aisbitt. “It’s the biggest competition I have won because it’s a national. I have played in the likes of the Brabazon, the English Amateur before when I was younger, but never won.

“It was great. I’m delighted. The Logan is more of a level playing field because it caters for the working man a bit more than the others. The others tend to be the younger, full-time golfers, which is difficult for those who have jobs and families.”

Aisbitt, 41, had his usual caddie John Hutchinson alongside him again and was supported by his father, Lester, and brother Andrew. Lester missed the cut in the Logan during his younger days.

“I will be reminding him I have gone one better quite a bit,” said Aisbitt. “Dad was a Durham county player and got down to a one handicap or thereabouts, and he held the course record at Bishop Auckland until I beat it one year!

“It was nice to have him there with my brother, who is a pretty decent snooker player ... he once beat Ronnie O’Sullivan and scores 147s for fun! I’m more the golfer though, and I’m chuffed to bits to win this.”

Aisbitt scored two-under 70 at Northumberland to finish the 54-hole championship in pole position. He said: “That is what you want, to have the chance of winning on a Sunday and going from there.

“Andy and I said earlier in the year that the next time we played it would be in the last group at the Logan and it worked out that way. It’s a great one-two for the North-East and we will have to invade the south next year!”

The championship will be held at Brokenhurst Manor in Hampshire in 2016 and both players are already planning to play.

Aisbitt set out on the final round with a three shot lead over Minnikin and quickly extended it with a birdie on the first. The lead widened again when Minnikin three-putted from close range on the second and by the time the pair turned for home Aisbitt was six-under. A level par back nine completed the runaway win.

“There were leaderboards dotted around the course so I knew what was happening,” said Aisbitt, who works in Shildon. “By the time I had birdied the 15th I was six shots clear so I knew I could enjoy the last three holes.

“I had a dodgy spell, just after the turn, when I had four bogeys in a row, but I got off to a nice start on the final day. I didn’t putt particularly well but the rest of my game was in pretty good shape. It was such a great afternoon, I’m delighted.”

The championship was attended on all three days by George Logan, a past President of both England and Northumberland, who presented the trophy in 1988.