Last updated 14:15, Friday, 15 August 2008

NEWCASTLE United and England football legend Alan Shearer is the latest big name to lend his support to the De Vere Collection PGA Seniors Championship at Slaley Hall later this month. Invitation Day McIntyre Trophy

The Toon’s all-time leading goalscorer soccer legend Alan Shearer retired from the game a couple of season’s ago – but he isn’t joining the seniors’ tour just yet.

He is due to line up with former Wynyard Club director of golf Philip Harrison, in the pre-tournament pro-am at Slaley Hall on Tuesday, two days before Harrison launches his assault on the £300,000 event.

And the Cumbrian-born pro, now director of golf at Wildwood Golf Club in Surrey, admits it will be anything but a practice round alongside the former Newcastle, Blackburn and Southampton ace.

“I’ve known Alan since he signed for Newcastle, as I was director of golf at Wynyard.

“ We used to be neighbours so we played a lot of golf together.

“I’ll try and use it as a practice round, but Alan is very competitive, and likes to do well, so we’ll both be in there trying like bears to get a good team score.

“We played at Turnberry together in May and without question Alan wants to win; he takes his golf very seriously.

“He’s a very good player, off five or six, and if he has to sink a four-footer for the hole he puts it away like he’s taking a penalty.”

The seniors tournament proper starts on Wednesday, and is being sponsored by leading golf course equipment supplier John Deere.

It is the first time the international company has been associated with the European Seniors Tour’s longest-running event which boasts a record prize fund of £300,000.

Former Ryder Cup captains Ian Woosnam and Sam Torrance are among the star attractions at the event, and with live coverage on Sky Sports, the sponsorship offers increased exposure opportunity for the already high profile John Deere brand.

The PGA Seniors Championship enjoys a long and illustrious history and is one of only two 72 hole events on the Seniors Tour.

Past winners include Open champions Max Faulkner, Kel Nagle and Peter Thomson while Torrance is a two time champion (2005 & 06) and record Seniors Tour money winner Carl Mason is the defending champion.

Director of sales and marketing for Deere’s commercial and consumer equipment (C&CE) division for Europe, Africa and the Middle East David Thorne said: “This is a natural extension of our well-established relationship with tournament golf as official golf course equipment supplier to the PGA Tour in the USA and the Ladies European Tour, and host of the world famous John Deere Classic at TPC Deere Run, an annual PGA Tour event.”

Meanwhile, Philip Harrison will be looking to hone his competitive streak, as he prepares to make his bow in the event after qualifying at the first attempt.

The 50-year-old earned his spot, along with 20 other PGA professionals from around the country, after finishing fourth at the Senior PGA Professional Championship back in May.

Harrison now faces the task of taking on some of the elite of seniors golf , who as well as Woosnam and Torrance include Ryder Cup aces Costantino Rocca and Gordon Brand Junior ,and the in-form defending champion Carl Mason.

But Harrison, who spent 13 years on the European Tour, is undaunted at the prospect having played against most of them in Jersey this year.

“There are a lot of good players as I know from Jersey when I finished 26th,” he said.

“I had a bad start as I was four over after four but after that I played quite well and should have finished in the top 10.

“But it proved to me I can be competitive against them and I feel that my game has moved on from when I played there in June.

“I’ve been trying to play a bit more but I’ve been so busy at the club. I tried to qualify for the British Senior Open but I was beaten in a play-off having finished four shots off the pace.”

Meanwhile, the venue could also play into his hands as he explained.

“I know Slaley Hall well as I used to play it when I was based in the North Region,” he said.

“I must have played 30 to 40 rounds on it as it used to be only half hour from home. I played European Tour events there as well as the NE/NW Matchplay Championship.

“It has probably changed slightly as it’s nine or ten years since I last played it but it does help playing a course you’re comfortable with.”

Harrison, who has two golfing brothers, John, head pro at Matfen Hall and Steve, head pro at Eden Golf Club, also has an eye on attempting to get a tour card at the end of the season to give himself more tournament options, despite his heavy workload.

“I’ll go for my card at the end of the year and have a simple plan of playing about 10 events or so, playing early in the season and at the end of the season,” he said.

“I’ve got a category based on career earnings but its only reserve spots, so I have to improve on that.”

Eleanor Harrison and Dorothy McFarlane teamed up to win the top prize at the invitation day in Prudhoe Golf Club ladies’ section with a nett 68.5.

Runners-up were Hazel Orwin & Steph Carlton on 72.5, with Kathleen Noble-Newton and Julie Elliot on 74.

There were some good scores in Hexham Golf Club ladies’ section’s stableford competition for the McIntyre Trophy.

Top of the tree on 41 points was June Lomax, with Janet Joyce edging out Laura Johnson for second place over the back nine, both finishing on 38 points.

Hexham ladies’ second team won their home match against Bedlingtonshire by 6-1.