Derek Craik is retiring after 22 years as professional at Frilford Heath, but there will be no change of name on the pro's shop door.

For the 63-year-old former tournament player is being succeeded by his 31-year-old son, also called Derek - the Chipping Norton professional.

Craik senior, who moved from Henley to Frilford in 1979, said: "I'm very pleased that Derek's taking over from me. It's nice to keep it in the family."

The Frilford Heath job is one of the biggest in the south of England, as the club now has three courses.

"I'm retiring, because it's all become a bit too competitive," said dad Derek, who admitted he was struggling to adjust to the computer age.

During his ten-year tournament career in the 1960s, he gained a couple of eighth place finishes, the highlight coming in 1962 when he actually led the Open Championship at Troon for a short while.

"It was early in the first round, that I got five birdies in seven holes, but I couldn't keep it up - and in fact, never made the last day of the Open," he explained.

He also remembers his time spent as an assistant pro at the Temple club, near Marlow, where he worked under the great Henry Cotton.

"Cotton had some eccentric coaching ideas, and used to come up with gimmicks which he tried out out on us."

Derek junior joined Chippy just over four years ago, having been an assistant to his dad at Frilford, where he was once a highly-promising teenager.

After suffering a back injury in a car crash in 1992, he decided to concentrate on becoming a club professional.

For his new job, which he is expected to start on May 1, he is literally returning home as he still has a house which borders onto the Frilford course.

"I'm looking forward to the Frilford job, but sad to be leaving Chipping Norton, as it's a brilliant place," said the father of four.

"We'll be very sad to lose him," said Chippng Norton secretary Simon Chislett. "We had a good personal relationship and worked well together.

"But we always knew that Derek would be a leading candidate to take over at Frilford when his dad decided to call it a day.

"We've already had four interviews and have two more to do," explained Chislett, "so, we hope to name our new professional before too long."