Peter Baker Tournament Wins 2007
Sunday 16th December 2007BAKER WINS MAURITIUS OPEN
South Staffs Director of Golf Peter Baker celebrated a return to The European Tour by capping off a wonderful year with victory in the Mauritius Open. Baker, who won back his card through the Challenge Tour at the age of 40, shot a final round of 68 at the Belle Mare Plage Legend Course for a six under par total of 206 and a three stroke victory over Portugal's Jose-Felipe Lima.
"This is a superb way to end the year," commented Baker.
7th October 2007
Baker celebrates 40th Birthday by winning the Open AGF-Allianz Cotes d'Armor Bretagne
Peter Baker received the perfect 40th birthday present when he defeated fellow Englishman Ross McGowan at the first hole of a sudden-death play-off to win the Open A.G.F Allianz Cotes d'Armor Bretagne and secure a return to The European Tour.
Baker's second Challenge Tour title of the season, on the day he celebrated his 40th birthday, will herald a new beginning for the former Ryder Cup player and three-time European Tour champion as the 22,400 Euro first prize meant he climbed to tenth on the Challenge Tour Rankings, with the top 20 at the end of the season earning promotion to The European Tour. With just three events of the season left, his place in the top 20 is now assured.
''It is incredible,'' said Baker. ''This win is huge for me. It was a tough day but I kept going and my experience carried me through. Getting my card back means everything to me. It has been a good few years without a full card. Now I am itching to get out there again. They say life begins at 40 so let's hope so and things are better than my 30s.''
''I played really well for the first three days but today I just couldn't hole any putts,'' added Baker. ''I must have lipped out four or five times. I finally holed one from ten feet for the eagle on the 11th and just hung in there.
''It is always tough to win any tournament, unless you are Tiger Woods, but for us mere mortals it is tough. This was very, very special.''
24th June 2007BAKER WINS IN SWITZERLAND
Former Ryder Cup player Peter Baker got his career back on track by winning the Credit Suisse Challenge after an unbelievable day of low scoring at Wylihof Golf Club.
Baker, three times a winner on The European Tour, took the 22,400 Euro first prize after an excellent final round of six under 67 at the par 73 Wylihof gave him with a winning total of 20 under 272, one stroke clear of Scotland's Andrew McArthur, who made an astonishing eight birdies on his final round front nine to reach the turn in 28 strokes.
"I can't remember winning tournaments being that difficult!" smiled Baker, whose last victory came on The European Tour 13 years ago at the Scandinavian Masters.
"I'm delighted - it definitely feels like I am on the way back now and I am going to keep playing on the Challenge Tour and try and win my card through the top 20 on the Rankings."
With two holes to play, and a two stroke lead, Baker drew on all of the experience he gained as a European Tour champion and former Ryder Cup player to par the 17th and then finish with a comfortable bogey five on the last to record his first Challenge Tour victory and move to 11th place on the Rankings with 33,357 Euros.
Baker, who Vice-Captained Ian Woosnam during Europe's record equalling Ryder Cup win over the USA at The K Club last year, rediscovered his putting form at Wylihof by using the same Ping B-60 putter he had won three points out of four with at The Ryder Cup at the Belfry in 1993.
"I got the old Ryder Cup putter out of the garage this week and I have been putting well for the first time in a long while. That has been my biggest problem, but the old Ping B-60 had the same affect on me now as it did in The Ryder Cup."