Baker secures home victory

Peter Baker took the honours at the PTS Invitational at South Staffordshire Golf Club – the opening event in this year’s PGA in England (Midlands) Order of Merit.

The former Ryder Cup star, who is also head professional at the Wolverhampton club, started the day tied for the lead on seven-under par with Nottinghamshire’s Lee Clarke.

But a steady one-under-par final round was enough to take him clear and he finished two shots clear of his nearest challenger.

“I haven’t played a great deal this year so I’m really delighted to have won around my home course,” Baker said.

“It brings a funny type of pressure when you play at your own place. When you are not in a tournament you go around joking and talking to players out on the course but all of a sudden it’s serious – you want to have a laugh and a joke with them but you remember you have to concentrate and get on with your game.”

A bogey at the 13^th was only Baker’s second dropped shot of the 54-hole tournament and he was delighted with the way he approached his final round. 

“My game plan was not to give it away and not make too many bogeys,” he added.

“Lee [Clarke] played very well and didn’t look as though he was going to hit a bad shot – it could have gone either way.”

Clarke’s one-over-par 72 on the final day secured second place – dropped shots at the 12^th and 14^th ending his challenge.

Another Ryder Cup veteran Paul Broadhurst had started the day three shots adrift of the leaders but his challenge faltered and he was four-over par at the end of the day.

Andrew Willey (Notts GC) finished third after a final round of 70 left him at three-under for the tournament with reigning Order of Merit champion Paul Streeter (Lincoln Golf Centre) finishing alongside Broadhurst on level par. Paul Bradshaw (Gainsborough GC) completed the top six at two-over for the event.