Ollie reaches the heights

Former EuroPro Tour player Ollie Baker shot to the top of the Titleist & FootJoy Assistant Sprint Series Order of Merit by winning the third leg at Knighton Heath.

After sharing a three-way tie in the opening event at Weston-super-Mare while making his West debut the 23-year-old Welshman from Cardiff took top spot alone with an impressive four-under-par 66 to beat James Ruth (China Fleet), the most successful trainee last year, by one shot.

Baker, now head of junior coaching at Ridgeway Golf Club, Caerphilly, won the Welsh Boys Championship in 2008. He is mentored by Dave Pocock, professional at Bryn Meadows, and is in his first year of training.

“I played professionally for three years on the EuroPro Tour and other mini-tours but decided to join the PGA because I enjoy both playing and coaching,” he said.

“I want to play as much as I can and hope to go to the European Tour school art the e end of the year.

Like the majority of the field he had never played at the pleasant heathland course at Bournemouth but said:”It was an enjoyable experience and I didn’t do anything wrong.”

On a warm sunny day in light winds he dropped a shot at the sixth before a birdie at the ninth took him out on level par.  He made his score on the homeward run with birdies at the tenth, 12th, 15th and 17th.

Ruth made birdies at the eighth and ninth and after dropping his only shot at the 16th, birdied the final two holes.

Henry Pallas (Hamptworth) and this season’s promising newcomer Kieron Fowler (Lyme Regis) shared third on 69, the only other players under par. Fowler started with three successive birdies but the 12th was his downfall as he dropped two shots. 

Tim Baker (Celtic Manor), Giuseppe Licata (Chipping Sodbury), James Singleton (Playgolf Bournemouth) and Richard Woods (Dainton Park) shared fifth on 71.

Licata is second in the Order of Merit followed by Toby Hunt (St Mellons), Ross Langdon  (Brickhampton Court) and Ruth.

The final round is played at St Mellons on May 19.