FRESH from pushing Chris Handy all the way and threatening to win the Durham County Championship at the tender age of 17, Jack Ainscough is taking the next big step of his career this week.

Shotton’s Ainscough, who narrowly lost out on a three-hole play-off to Handy at Wynyard in the County Championship on Sunday, is one of four golfers from the North-East set to tee off in the Brabazon Trophy.

The Hartlepool Golf Club teenager will be first of that group off at 7.50am on Thursday and he will be later followed by Castle Eden’s Cameron Wallace, Boldon’s Rhys Thompson and Masham’s England international Daniel Brown. Malton & Norton’s David Hague follows them at 2.30pm.

The presence of Ainscough has filled him with further confidence having overcome a disappointing start to the year by his standards with an impressive couple of weeks.

As well as shooting a ten-under par total over the four rounds at Wynyard last weekend, Hartlepool’s youngest ever club champion finished four in the Brabazon qualifier at Sandiwell before that to seal his place at Woodhall Spa this week.

He said: “I have been struggling since the start of the year, I missed three cuts in a row and it was a bit disappointing. But I played in the Brabazon qualifier, finished fourth in one under from the Thursday to Sunday when I travelled down with Chris Handy.

“And with the golf I played at Wynyard in the County Championship, it means I have played the last five rounds under par. I am 11 under after those last five rounds, so I am feeling quite good.”

It’s a big year for Ainscough. After playing in the Brabazon he will focus on his A-levels at Hartlepool’s Dyke House College ahead of heading over to the United States in August to start a golf scholarship at Colorado State University, where he will also be studying sports science.

A couple of years ago he won the North of England Schools’ Championship and finished in the top ten of the Durham County Championship despite being just 15. He has represented England Boys and came within a whisker of becoming the county championship last weekend.

“Supposedly the record for the lowest score in the County Championship is seven under and both myself and Chris finished on ten under, so I can’t be too disappointed even though I obviously wanted to win,” said Ainscough.

“Nobody told me I was leading earlier in the round and Chris closed me down. I was on the last and I still had a 20ft putt to win.

“I missed that and knew it was a play-off. I made a hash of 16, he had a two shot lead with two holes to play and I never recovered.”