Standing in the 18th fairway at Constance Belle Mare Plage in Mauritius last weekend, Peter Baker knew he needed a birdie to win the tournament and scoop the $50,000 prize awaiting this season’s Legends Tour ‘Race To Mauritius’ Order Of Merit winner.
He reached for his SkyCaddie SX550, checked his yardage, and pured a 5-wood 231 yards to seven feet and holed the putt. Shortly afterwards he held the 2023 MCB Tour Championship – Mauritius trophy above his head, his fourth Legends Tour title of the season, with the SkyCaddie safely back in his golf bag.
Like nine of the top-10 finishers in the final 2023 Legends Tour Order of Merit, Baker used a SkyCaddie on most approach shots to the green this season, and frequently from the tee too, to check carries, runouts, landing spots and lay-up zones.
With the SkyCaddie SX550 Tourbook GPS as his constant companion this season, Baker finished inside the top 10 in 10 out of 14 tournaments, and was only outside the top 20 once. The English ex-Ryder Cup star pipped Brazilian golfer Adilson da Silva, who was on his own hot streak in 2023, to the Order Of Merit bonus money.
His dramatic final-hole birdie secured the win in Mauritius by a single shot from Legends Tour Rookie of The Year Patrick Sjöland – another SkyCaddie user.
SkyCaddie’s SX550 is hugely popular with competitors on the Legends Tour, and played a leading role in Peter Baker’s victory in the MCB Tour Championship and his Order of Merit title
“It all came down to my last shot to the green,” said 56-year-old Baker, who is based at South Staffs GC near Wolverhampton. “I had nailed my drive on the par-five 18th, leaving 231 yards to the pin. The SkyCaddie told me it was another 12 to the back of the green, and I knew I couldn’t hit my 5-wood that far as the breeze was against me. There was water left, right and long! I thought, this is why I’m here, why not have a go? I had a great yardage and hit the 5-wood really well, close to the pin. I took my two putts for the win! That 5-wood was the stroke which won me the tournament, and the Order Of Merit.”
Baker has rarely enjoyed a better season. “This year has been one of my best in almost four decades of tour golf – and 600 tournaments” he said. “Winning this year’s Order Of Merit on the Legends Tour is definitely one of the highlights of my career, along with playing in the Ryder Cup and multiple wins on the European Tour.
“I used a local caddie in Mauritius, as I usually do there. I also used my SkyCaddie SX550 for every shot to the green, and most tee shots, as I have done throughout the season. I tend to laser to the pin, but the SkyCaddie then gives me front, back, landing zone yardages, and also carries and runouts off the tee – which you usually can’t get with a laser. The SkyCaddie never leaves you blind.
“My advice to all serious golfers would be that the more information you have, the better you can play! Using a SkyCaddie gives you a clear advantage over the rest.”
SkyCaddie GPS users continued their dominance in the final three events on the 2023 Legends Tour, with just under 75% of top-10 finishers using SkyCaddie’s highly accurate on-foot mapped yardages. And 75% of this year’s top 20 on the Legends Tour Order Of Merit are SkyCaddie GPS users.
James Holmes, SkyCaddie’s Director of Sales & Operations EMEA, said: “Peter Baker has had a sensational season, as have Adilson da Silva and Patrick Sjöland. All three know how much more competitive you can be if you use a SkyCaddie GPS.
“SkyCaddie has had a sensational season too! 11 out of the 14 tournaments were won by golfers using a SkyCaddie and, looking at the biggest prize of all, it’s a hat-trick of big wins as the last three Order Of Merit winners have all been SkyCaddie users.
“I think this stunning performance justifies the pride the whole SkyCaddie team feels in being the Official Rangefinder of the Legends Tour, and we only expect this partnership to deepen further in 2024.”
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