Roberts cruises to victory in Players

CHAMPIONS TOUR: Loren Roberts cruised to victory in the Seniors Players Championship in Maryland yesterday.

A final round of three-under-par 67 saw him finish on 13-under-par, a full six shots clear of his nearest rival, Tom Watson, over the East Course at Baltimore Country Club.

A disastrous, triple-bogey seven at the 10th ended Des Smyth's hopes of a high finish, having started the day tied for fourth.

Smith closed with a three-over-par 73 to lie on one under and in a share of 17th.

CHALLENGE TOUR: Peter Baker received the perfect 40th birthday present when he defeated fellow Englishman Ross McGowan at the first hole of a sudden-death play-off to win the Open Cotes D'Armor Bretagne and secure a return to the European Tour.

Baker, who started the final round with a two-stroke lead, shot a final round 71, only for his 13-under-par target of 267 to be matched by McGowan, who spectacularly birdied the last two holes at Golf Blue Green de Pléneuf Val André, France, for a closing 69 to make the play-off.

But Baker was not to be denied, making a four at the first play-off hole to McGowan's bogey five to claim the €22,400 first prize.

By way of consolation, McGowan moved to the top of the Challenge Tour rankings after his second-place cheque of €15,400 took him passed Chile's Felipe Aquilar.

Baker's second Challenge Tour title of the season, on the day he celebrated his 40th birthday, will herald a new beginning for the former Ryder Cup player and three-time European Tour champion as he climbed to 10th on the tour rankings, with the top 20 earning promotion.

It has been five years since Baker has held a full card and with just three events of the Challenge Tour season left, his place in the top 20 is assured.

"It is incredible," said Baker. "This win is huge for me. It was a tough day but I kept going and my experience carried me through.

"Getting my card back means everything to me. It has been a good few years without a full card. Now I am itching to get out there again. They say life begins at 40, so let's hope so and things are better than my 30s."

McGowan, already twice a winner on the Challenge Tour this season, came through at the end with his two birdies to tie Baker, but a mistake at the first extra hole, where he hooked his drive into the bunker and then hit his second heavy into an almost impossible lie in a greenside bunker on his way to a five, proved costly, with Baker safely on the putting surface in two.

"It is always tough to win any tournament, unless you are Tiger Woods, but for us mere mortals it is tough. This was very, very special."