Former Ryder Cup player Peter Baker continued to prove he was back in the groove when he carved himself a three shot lead at the halfway stage of the Estoril Challenge de Portugal.

The 39 year old Englishman had been without an individual professional victory since August 1993 – a month before he played against the United States at The Belfry – but he put paid to that statistic in style last week when he won the Credit Suisse Challenge.

Now Baker, currently 11th on the Challenge Tour Rankings, is in line for his second successive tournament victory and one which would give him a great chance of cementing his place in the top 20 at the end of the season and gaining his European Tour card for 2008 by right.

Baker added a 66 to his opening 65 for an 11 under par total of 131 and a three shot lead over his fellow countryman Robert Coles who had set the target of eight under par 134 with his second consecutive 67 earlier in the day.

Out in 33, with one dropped shot at the eighth hole, Baker was flawless on the inward half, his only departures from par coming with birdies at the 11th and 13th and another to finish at the 18th where he fired a seven iron to six feet and rolled home the putt.

While Baker’s second round score was actually one shot worse than his opening round, the three time winner on The European Tour admitted it had been a better day’s work.

“That was a very good round of golf because the conditions, with the wind getting up, were certainly harder than my morning round on Thursday so I am very pleased with that,” he said.

“I saw Robert’s score before I went out and to be honest, my only real target was to keep around that mark so I was in the mix for the weekend. I would have been delighted to finish around eight under so to end up at 11 under is great.”

Second placed Coles might not have had the chance to watch his beloved West Ham perform their Houdini-like escape from relegation certainty last season, but the 34 year old is determined to utilise the same battling spirit as the boys from Upton Park to regain his own playing privileges for The European Tour.

The Englishman lost his card last year and, like Baker, has vowed to play the entire 2007 season on the Challenge Tour in an attempt to win it back. Currently in 40th place he is moving in the right direction but gave himself the ideal chance with another fine round at Quinta da Marinha.

“I actually saw a couple of the West Ham games towards the end of the season but then in the final game, against Manchester United at Old Trafford, I was playing in Toulouse and couldn’t go,” he said.

“But I had an early tee time on the Sunday and I saw a bar across from the hotel had Sky Sports so I thought, perfect, get back, get changed and have a few beers and watch the game – I couldn’t believe it when I turned up to find the bar didn’t open on a Sunday!

“I had to rely on my mates texting me from the game and every time my phone went off I thought, here we go, 1-0 Man United – I couldn’t believe it when we went 1-0 up and held on. It was brilliant and now I hope I can do as well this season on the course.”

Coles got off to a flying start in his second round with four birdies in his first seven holes. Tree trouble cost him shots at the eighth and 12th but recovered them with birdies at the tenth and 15th as he held his score together well in the strengthening winds.

“I’ve been doing okay this year on the Challenge Tour but apart from a third place earlier in the year where I had a good last round, to be honest, I’ve been treading water a little bit.

“I’ve never really been able to put four good rounds together to get a little run going and that is what you need to do on this Tour to push you up the top of the Rankings. This is by far and away my best start of the season so hopefully I can keep it going.”

Third place, two shots adrift of Coles, is shared by another Englishman, Ross McGowan, and Kasper Linnet Jorgensen of Denmark, who carded 68 and 69 respectively to finish on six under par 136.

Leading second round scores:
131: P Baker (Eng) 65, 66
134: R Coles (Eng) 67, 67
136: R McGowan (Eng) 68, 68; K-L Jorgensen (Den) 67, 69
137: S Manley (Wal) 65, 72; A Tarchetti (Ita) 68, 69
138: G Clark (Eng) 68, 70; J Donaldson (Wal) 68, 70
139: J-A Larsen (Nor) 66,73; C Balmaseda (Esp) 70, 69; G Acosta (Arg) 69, 70; T Cruz (Por) 71, 68; M Carlsson (Swe) 72, 67; A McArthur (Sco) 69, 70; A Sobrinho (Por) 71, 68; M Wiegele (Aut) 74, 65:

Scott Crockett
Chief Press Officer
The European Tour
Tel: +44 (0) 1344 840447
Fax: +44 (0) 1344 840444
Email: scrockett@europeantour.com