A silver cup presented to golfing regional journalists almost 80 years ago has been presented again after decades hidden away.

The cup belonged to the now defunct Newcastle Press Golfing Society in 1937, and was found in a draw at the offices of city-based daily The Journal years later.

It was handed to Tim Taylor, the former golf correspondent at The Journal, when someone was clearing out a drawer in the office.

Tim kept hold of the cup, and it has now been used as the prize in a tournament held in County Durham attended by, among others, former professional sportsmen.

The South Moor Masters was held at the South Moor course, near Chester-le-Street, which is among a worldwide portfolio designed by a Yorkshireman, Dr Alister MacKenzie, which includes Augusta, permanent home of the US Masters.

Among those competing at the tournament – organised by Tim and former Chronicle chief photographer Ian Horrocks – were Ritchie Pitt, Jimmy Montgomery and Dick Malone, who played for Sunderland’s FA Cup winning side in 1973.

Ian Horrocks, left, and Tim Taylor with the cup

Tim, who serves as the South Moor club’s PR officer and also owns PR company thewritestuff, said: “The trophy was given to me during my time as The Journal golf correspondent when somebody was clearing out a desk and I thought it would come in one day.

“This tournament was ideal. We wanted to flag up the Augusta connection to the media so we put on a tournament for them to play the course and invited a celebrity to play in each team.”

The trophy was presented to the Newcastle Press Golfing Society in 1937 by its president, V. Ewart Berry, a director of what was then the Chronicle and Journal.

John Ritson, 78, a regular golfer and a former captain of the Blyth club, was the news editor of both The Chronicle and The Journal.

He said: “In the 1970s and 1980s the tobacco company WD &HO Wills initiated and sponsored a golf day for journalists in the North East and I ran that tournament for them.

“We used to have star names of the football world such as Jackie Milburn and Len Shackleton on the course which was a big thrill for us.”

“I can vaguely remember the name Ewart Berry but I don’t know anything about the origins of this trophy or anything about the society – 1937 was the year I was born so understandably it passed me by.”