Travel keeps Baker busy> Bangor pro prepped for GBO at British Open qualifier

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BANGOR – Mike Baker, the assistant pro at Bangor Municipal Golf Course, looked a little worn out after his round Friday in the 34th Greater Bangor Open golf tournament.

Baker had just finished shooting a 3-over-par 72 for a two-day total of 146. He made the cut for Saturday’s 18-hole finale, but he was just as interested in finding a place to sit and eat his sandwich.

Baker, 38, had a good excuse for feeling worn out. He has been a busy man the last couple of weeks or so, mainly because of a couple of hops over “The Pond” to Scotland and back for a British Open qualifier.

“Yeah, that might be part of it,” said Baker, who had rounds of 75 and 72 at Ladybank but missed advancing by eight strokes.

Baker and Vinal Smith, of Brewer, who caddied for him, had a busy schedule while they were there, and Baker’s continued after his return.

Because of his eighth-place finish in the PGA Club Pro Championship last year, Baker earned a spot in the PGA Championship, which he knew. He also received an exemption into the second round of British Open qualifying, which he didn’t find out right away.

“It was in the fine print,” said Baker. “I had to check into it.”

They left Bangor at midday Wednesday, July 12, and arrived in Scotland the next morning. Then it was two days of practice rounds, followed by trips to the Royal and Ancient Golf Club at St. Andrews, two days of qualifying, and a final visit to St. Andrews.

Then they jumped back on a plane Wednesday and came home very early Thursday morning.

Baker then put in his usual schedule at Bangor Muni Thursday, Friday, and Saturday before getting a day off Sunday, July 23, sort of.

“I did mow the lawn,” said Baker.

After that, it was prep time for the GBO, followed by playing in it.

It was all worth it to Baker, and he’d do it all again.

“Those major tournaments are a different atmosphere,” he said.

When he found out he was eligible to go to Scotland, he and Smith, a friend he had made when he worked at Penobscot Valley Country Club in Orono, pondered if they should go. If he made it through the qualifier, Baker would play in the Open on the Old Course at St. Andrews, the ancestral home of the game. It wasn’t a long discussion.

“He said, `We’ve never been there. Let’s go,”‘ said Baker, who found a cottage for rent in Luechras.

“It was five miles outside St. Andrews, a nice little spot,” Baker said.

Baker didn’t eat any of the more unusual local foods.

“I didn’t get anything too funny,” said Baker.

He also found the Scottish accent hard to follow.

“You really had to pay attention,” he said.

After their practice rounds Baker and Smith visited St. Andrews, the grand prize for their efforts.

“Thursday and Friday, there was hardly anyone there,” said Baker. The course had been closed for about a week and the gigantic stands were all in place.

“It was pretty neat,” said Baker. “We’d be standing on the tees saying, `Where does the hole go?”‘

They also checked out some of the numerous pot bunkers.

“I was standing in one, and the top of the bunker was at least this much above me,” said Baker, touching the top of a nearby door.

Baker felt good about how he was playing, but it wasn’t reflected in his scores.

“I didn’t hit it in bad spots. I just couldn’t do anything with it,” said Baker, who also said seeing the Old Course “was kind of an inspiration to play well. I’m in a strange groove. I’m playing well, but not scoring.”

Baker wouldn’t blame his lack of scoring on the travel.

“The jet lag was no big deal. I don’t require a lot of sleep,” he said. “I was excited to be over there and that takes some of the tiredness away.”

He seemed to recover his scoring touch by the last round of the GBO. He shot a 67 Saturday, one of the best rounds of the final day.

Baker said he will continue to try to get into the major tournaments.

“I probably won’t go to the Masters [because of its small, select field],” said Baker. “But there’s [U.S.] Open qualifying, the PGA and the Club Pro, of course.

“The British Open, I don’t know.”

It might be easier to get to a qualifier in the future, though.

“Now they’re talking about holding a qualifier over here next year,” said Baker.

The atmosphere can’t possibly feel the same, though.