de vere club star books Open berth

De Vere Club Touring Professional, Matthew Baldwin, has booked his place in The Open Championship, marking the second consecutive occasion that the Lancashire-born former England Boys Captain has qualified for a Major championship this season.

After having come through qualifying for the US Open at Walton Heath last month, Baldwin posted rounds of 65 and 69 to finish in a tie for 3rd at International Final Qualifying at Sunningdale, booking his place to compete in The Open at Royal Lytham & St Annes in the world’s oldest Major.

“I’m delighted at the opportunity to represent De Vere and I’m just as happy with the way my golf has been progressing this season. I’ve been playing great for the last couple of months and making it through Final Qualifying for two Majors is one of the highlights of my professional career so far,” noted Baldwin.

“Making my debut Open Championship appearance at home in the North-West is a bit of a dream come true so soon after my first trip to the US Open and I think the experience of competing in all four rounds in America will hold me in good stead. The De Vere Club has a number of venues in the north-west so hopefully there will be a few supporters out to watch and I’ll look forward to representing them at Royal Lytham.”

Baldwin joined the De Vere Club Tour Staff in March and will make his first appearance in The Open Championship in July after an impressive major championship debut in the U.S. Open at The Olympic Club earlier this month. Baldwin went on make the cut in San Francisco, finishing in a tie for 60th place, beating a number of high profile PGA Tour players in the process.

“We’re delighted for Matthew; he is making great progress on the European Tour and seems to be relishing the challenge of playing at the highest level of professional golf,” commented Daniel Hodson, De Vere’s Director of Golf, Leisure, & Spa.

“As a former England Boys Captain, he has the potential to become one of the country’s next superstars and follow in the footsteps of international players who are competing at the top of the world rankings. He is such an enthusiastic and relaxed golfer, so he is a great fit for the De Vere Club. We wish him all the best as he competes in The Open Championship in front of his friends and family; hopefully he can build on his strong start to the season.”

Baldwin leads a trio of young talent currently supported by De Vere, including fellow European Tour professionals Scott Pinckney and Matthew Nixon – who finished in a tie for 18th in last week’s BMW International Open, as well as rising star and fellow De Vere Club Ambassador, Alex Belt.

Belt has been growing in prominence and in recent weeks has produced a string of impressive results on the EuroPro Tour, including a 4th place finish in Ireland at Galgorm Castle and a runner-up performance at Burhill, as well as a victory in the Yorkshire PGA Championship.

The De Vere Club is the pioneering membership scheme introduced in March 2010, which has experienced remarkable success since being launched by Honorary Captain Peter Allis.

It has changed the way modern golfers look at golf club memberships with a unique approach that has been championed for its flexibility and affordability by offering golfers the chance to play 16 premium golf courses at 11 De Vere venues across the UK, for an initial payment of just £295.

The membership includes Championship layouts such as Slaley Hall in Northumberland and The Carrick on Loch Lomond. In just two years the De Vere Club has received backing from sporting legends Andrew “Freddie” Flintoff and Harry Redknapp, as well as TV golf personality Sophie Horn, to become the fastest growing golf and leisure membership in the country.

Incidentally, all the De Vere venues, apart from The Carrick, belong to 2-FORE!-1 and offer half-price green fees with a 2-FORE!-1 voucher.

*For more information on the De Vere Club visit www.thedevereclub.co.uk or call 0844 980 8060.