K Club to Q School

By Rob Hodgetts

You forget how joyous winning and being part of a successful thing is Peter Baker (right) enjoys Europe's K Club victory

Golf is a great ego-checker and has an annoying habit of bringing you crashing down to earth at regular intervals.

One man who has fallen further than most is Ryder Cup vice-captain Peter Baker.

From quaffing champagne with Ian Woosnam and the boys at the K Club one minute, to quaking at Qualifying School the next, Baker is about to experience the lows after the highs of professional golf.

"It was a good month before I felt normal again after the Ryder Cup," Baker told BBC Sport.

"It was quite tiring mentally, with all the excitement, and then the celebrating.

"It wasn't just the Sunday night, all week we had great fun. Everybody was flying. There was great banter among our team and that made a huge difference. It was a wonderful experience and very inspiring to be there."

But Baker, 39, a former Ryder Cup star himself, is now back to the realities of life as a struggling pro as he takes his place at the European Tour's annual six-round nerve-fest in San Roque, Spain, this week.

Being at the Ryder Cup has inspired me to practice and get back out playing with these guys that I admire so much

More than 860 hopefuls, a mixture of thrusting young bucks, fading stars and middle-of-the-road journeymen, have been whittled down to a field of 167, all competing for 30 places on the 2007 European Tour.

And Baker admits the contrast to the jubilation and camaraderie of the K Club could not be more different.

"It's two ends of the spectrum. Q School is a long, lonely week," he said.

"It's mentally very tough and trying to get back to where you want to be is a different kind of pressure to when you were successful and competing at the top level."

Baker knows all about mixing it with the best, having finished a career-high seventh on the Order of Merit in 1993.

The same year he made his one and only Ryder Cup appearance, winning three points out of four, including victory against newly installed 2008 US Ryder Cup captain Paul Azinger, in Europe's 15-13 defeat at The Belfry.

"Me and Woosie hammered him and [Fred] Couples 6&5 so that was pleasant. He didn't take it awfully well," said Baker.

Woosnam and Baker teamed up successfully at the 1993 Ryder Cup

Eight decent years followed before Baker slid down the rankings and lost his card in 2004. Two unsuccessful visits to Tour School in the last two years have meant surviving on sponsors' invites.

But seizing on Woosnam's invite to be his vice-captain at the K Club, Baker says he has found fresh inspiration from Europe's second record-equalling victory over America.

"Being at the Ryder Cup has inspired me to practice and get back out playing with these guys that I admired so much during the week," he said.

"It's very exciting to be involved in something winning when you've had a couple of years of disappointment. You forget how joyous winning and being part of a successful thing is.

"Hopefully I can get my card and get back on Tour and see what I can do and see if I'm still good enough."

I won't be standing on the practice ground hitting balls until it gets dark Peter Baker

Baker is hoping the wiles of the old campaigner, coupled with his injection of new-found enthusiasm, will give him the edge at San Roque.

"I've done horrendous both times I've been there but this is going to be third time lucky I hope," he said.

"I'm going to beat them with my experience and know-how. Hopefully that will save me one or two shots.

"I'll be trying to keep myself fresh, doing just enough every day to keep my hand in. I won't be standing on the practice ground hitting balls until it gets dark.

"It's not going to be all plain sailing for six rounds. There's going to be ups and downs and you've got to be able to deal with that. It's obviously easier said than done and anyone who says it's not is wrong.

"If you start thinking too far ahead you'll get into trouble. It's a matter of playing the shot in front of you as well as you can. But don't tell this to the others."

Your secret is safe with us Bakes.