Baker Back To Best Form To Win Cornwall Festival

Baker Back To Best Form To Win Cornwall Festival

Rob Moss and Asbri Golf PGA CornisH Festival Winner Peter Baker.

Rob Moss and Asbri Golf PGA CornisH Festival Winner Peter Baker.

Peter  Baker left his best form to last as he came from behind to win the Asbri PGA Cornish Festival for the third time in seven years.

The Ryder Cup player from South Staffs, who is planning to compete for a full season on this summer’s European Seniors Staysure Tour, produced a best of the week seven under par 65 in the penultimate match at Trevose.

This brought a one-shot success over Somerset duo Laurie Canter  (Cumberwell Park) and Ashley Mansell (Clevedon) who also found top form at Trevose.

Bath’s Laurie Canter is ruing his fourth near miss in the festival yet would not have won outright had Baker faltered. Fellow Somerset player Ashley Mansell from Clevedon, the West Region PGA champion at Burnham and Berrow two years ago, leapfrogged the field to join him at the top after a brilliant final round at Trevose.

Like Baker he returned seven under par. His day included eagles at the fourth and ninth holes as he picked up nine shots in 15 holes after dropping two shots in the opening three holes.

Canter, from Cumberwell Park, finished with 69 and carded five-under 208 for the 54 holes to wrest the lead off Craig Shave (Cosby).

Although he dropped a shot at the first he rallied with five birdies in the next nine holes.

Mansell, who has played very little this winter, said: “It was a brutal week and the first two days were really tough but I really managed to hold it altogether today. I didn’t know what the others were doing – I simply kept plugging away”

As usual St Enodoc provided the stiffest challenge with a demanding par of 69 and fast-running fairways, slick greens and danger at almost every hole.

So the excitement built at Trevose where birdies and eagles kept  the leaderboard changing.  Last year’s winner Matt Cort (Beedles Lake) with six birdies in a 68, James Ruth (China Fleet) and Dan Carter (Upavon ) with 70 at Polzeath moved into leading positions.

Although Andrew Windsor (Knighton Heath) shot the low round of the week with 67 at St Enodoc, few sub-par rounds were recorded there. Overnight  leader Shave was a case in point as he later faltered at St Enodoc to slip to 12th.

Louis Boston from Chippenham recorded the third ace of the week at Trevose’s eighth hole.

Martin Stimson (Glyn Abbey)  led Jason Rees, James Davies and  Ben Kelly to success in the team award on 258. They led each day and also qualified for a holiday at the PGA National  Aphrodite Hills in Cyprus.

Cort’s Beedles Lake and  Dan Hendriksen’s Torquay teams shared second

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