EX-RYDER Cup player Des Smyth beat Torrance, Woosnam and Rocca in a special Ryder Cup shoot-out to mark the launch of the De Vere Collection PGA Seniors Championship at a stunning Northumberland resort.

The De Vere Collection PGA Seniors Championship boasted one of the strongest fields seen on the European Tour in recent seasons, with a total of 11Ryder Cup stars teeing up at Slaley Hall.

The championship, competed for over the Hunting Course, has been closely contested by some of the biggest names in European Senior golf in recent years, and this year’s field was another fantastic showcase of golf in the North East.

The 10 Ryder Cup players, including two former captains, Ian Woosnam and Sam Torrance, double Major winner Sandy Lyle, and charismatic Ryder Cup hero Costantino Rocca, headlined the field with 35 Ryder Cup appearances between them.

To mark the start of the event, the Ryder Cup players gathered for a special shoot-out from the terrace in front of Slaley Hall’s luxury hotel. Firing shots 98 yards towards the 18th green of the Hunting course, the shoot-out was a light-hearted and competitive way to launch the 2010 Championship.

Ireland’s Des Smyth eventually emerged victorious after beating Eamonn Darcy in the final, firing the winning shot to 10ft.

It marked an enjoyable evening reminiscing about past Ryder Cup encounters. The shoot-out marked the start of what promised to be a great week of championship golf.

Sam Torrance, captain of the victorious 2002 Ryder Cup team, said: “It is always good fun to look back at some of the great Ryder Cup occasions that we were all fortunate enough to be involved in.