Marathon man Giedeon lands Seniors place

PRESS RELEASE ISSUED BY PGA
An avid marathon runner has proved he’s got the legs for big-time golf after jointly topping the pre-qualifier ahead of the De Vere Collection PGA Seniors Championship.
Germany's Torsten Giedeon, a former golf World Cup winner with Bernhard Langer, fired a three over par 75 at Slaley Hall today to share first place with South African Bertus Smit and earn a place in the £300,000 tournament which begins on Thursday.
Smit is a former wheat farmer who gave up ploughing the land to pursue his golfing dream and has earned the chance, along with 25 other qualifiers, to tee it up alongside European legends Ian Woosnam and Sam Torrance and a host of other star names.
Sharing third place were Shrewsbury pro Peter Seal (Welsh Border Golf Club) and Scots Robert Webster and Steve Martin from Dundee who shot five over 77s amid difficult conditions at the Nortumbrian resort.
Meanwhile Cumbrian pro Steve Harrison (Eden) made sure the tournament will be a family affair by joining brother Phil in the event. Phil is warming up for the event by partnering Geordie legend Alan Shearer in the Tuesday pro-am.
The 26 qualifiers were:
Par 72
75 Torsten Giedeon (Ger), Bertus Smit (SAf).
77 Peter Seal (Eng), Robert Webster (Sco), Per-Arne Brostedt (Swe), S Martin (Downfield).
78 Martin Galway (Eng), Mark Patchett (Broomieknowe), Martin Morbey (Eng), Graham Banister (Aus), Stephen Rooke (Eng), Stephen Rolley (Eng).
79 John Mashego (SAf), Enrique Alessandrini (Arg), Ken Stevely (Sco), Frank Hill (Eng), Kevin Phillips (Winterfield), Steve Harrison (Eng).
80 Philip Barlow (Eng), Murray White (Sco), Patrick O'Boyle (Ire), Peter Kerr (Hayston), Gordon Townhill (Eng), David A Russell (Eng), Martin Foster (Eng).