Golf: Baker's berth at The Belfry is confirmed: Langer wins German Open

WHILE Bernhard Langer was holding centre stage, the drama, at least as far as the Ryder Cup shakedown is concerned, was taking place in the wings. And Wentworth. Sam Torrance, hors de combat and confined to his home in Surrey, enjoyed the Volvo German Open far more than some of his colleagues.

Torrance, who celebrated his 40th birthday at the start of the week, popped open another bottle of champagne yesterday when he realised he would make the European team on merit. 'My first toast,' he said, 'is to Darren Clarke, my second to David Feherty. And tell Big Monty he played well.' The prominence here of Clarke, Feherty and Colin Montgomerie meant that Torrance could not be knocked out of the top nine in the Cup table.

Peter Baker also qualified, finishing joint second at the Hubbelrath course. Torrance, who has been sweating it out after bruising his chest in a sleep-walking accident two weeks ago, plays in his seventh successive Ryder Cup. Baker, 25 from Wolverhampton, plays in his first. Bernard Gallacher, Europe's captain for the match against the Americans at The Belfry on 24 to 26 September, voiced reservations here on Saturday about Torrance's fitness but the player himself has no doubts. Torrance, the man who holed the winning putt at The Belfry against the US in 1985, will return to the scene of his greatest triumph.

Baker began the week in ninth place in the table and improved on that by winning pounds 56,450. Eight years ago, Torrance's year, Baker, an outstanding amateur, played in the Walker Cup against the Americans. 'I dreamt then of playing in the Ryder Cup,' Baker said. 'I can't believe it's really happened. It means everything.'

If, as expected, Gallacher gives two of his three wild cards to Seve Ballesteros and Jose-Maria Olazabal, neither of whom could make the team on merit, the debate revolves around who will be the Third Man. It rests, I suspect, between Joakim Haeggman, in 10th place, and Ronan Rafferty in 11th. David Feherty, joint sixth here with Haeggman, might also feature in Gallacher's calculations. Feherty thinks not. He does, however, deserve credit for sportsmanship. At the 16th hole he called a penalty shot on himself when his ball moved as he was about to putt.

Gallacher has said in the past that the man occupying 10th place has a valid claim. If he goes for Haeggman it would bring the number of rookies in the team to four. The three newcomers assured of their places are Costantino Rocca, Barry Lane and Baker.

Baker has come of age this season, winning the Dunhill Masters and the Scandinavian Masters. Baker, who shot 69 yesterday said:'I didn't really know what to do for 14 holes.' Then he looked at the scoreboard and his goal was to finish ahead of Haeggman who had come in with a 68, 12 under par. Baker birdied the 14th and the 17th and it put him on 14 under, two ahead of Haeggman. 'Baker's justified his inclusion by a terrific performance,' Gallacher said. 'He was very positive. It's been a big week for him . . . a big year. He came here knowing that he could not rely on selection.' Of Torrance, who did not come here and who also could not rely on being picked, Gallacher said: 'I'm very pleased Sam's qualified. It doesn't make it difficult for me.'

What does make it difficult for him are the players lying 10th and 11th. Haeggman was not optimistic about becoming the first Swede to play in the Ryder Cup. 'We'll get one in sometime,' he said. It just could be today when Gallacher announces his three selections although it is understood that Ballesteros's vote is for Rafferty. Langer, whom Gallacher has also consulted, will have told the Scotsman to go for somebody who has Cup experience. Haeggman, who should stay by a phone, would get my vote.

The leaderboard in the final round had about it a whiff of grapeshot. There was Montgomerie and Allenby and the German-Italian axis of Langer and Rocca. In addition Ove Sellberg came in with what could be described as a Second World War score: he went out in 39 and came back in 45.

Langer began the day with a two stroke lead and had increased it by the turn. He went out in 32 and none of his closest challengers could match it. Clarke, a Northern Irishman who has not featured in the Cup permutations, came through the field with a 65. Langer coasted home with a 66, winning by five from Baker and the Australian, Robert Allenby.

It was Langer's fifth victory in the German Open, equalling a record established by Percy Alliss in the Twenties and Thirties. Langer, who won pounds 108,000, went above Nick Faldo to the top of the Cup table but is second to the Englishman in the Order of Merit. 'It's nice to see that Bernhard has maintained his form,' Gallacher said. 'He's going to play an important part.' At Kiawah Island two years ago Langer missed a five-foot putt on the last green of the last match. Had he made it Europe would have retained the Cup. He has a score to settle.

VOLVO GERMAN OPEN (Hubbelrath) Leading final scores (GB or Irl unless stated): 269 B Langer (Ger) 65 68 70 66. 274 R Allenby (Aus) 71 70 65 68; P Baker 68 66 71 69. 275 D Clarke 69 70 71 65; C Montgomerie 68 71 70 66. 276 J Haeggman (Swe) 69 67 72 68; D Feherty 67 69 69 71. 277 D Gilford 69 74 65 69; P O'Malley (Aus) 68 68 71 70; J Rystrom (Swe) 65 72 70 70; G Orr 67 70 70 70. 278 F Nobilo (NZ) 69 71 71 67; O Karlsson (Swe) 71 71 69 67; S Lyle 69 69 71 69; B Lane 71 67 69 71; C Rocca (It) 69 70 69 71. 279 D Smyth 70 71 70 68; E Romero (Arg) 67 71 70 71; H Clark 71 68 69 71. 280 R Rafferty 67 70 74 69; W Grady (Aus) 70 67 73 70; S Ballesteros (Sp) 72 69 68 71; A Bossert (Swit) 66 69 72 73; R Goosen (SA) 66 73 67 74. 281 A Cejka (Ger) 69 68 78 66; M James 69 71 72 69; S Little 74 69 69 69; G Turner (NZ) 70 71 70 70; T Johnstone (Zim) 69 69 69 74. 282 G Day (US) 69 71 74 68; A Sorensen (Den) 69 69 72 72. 283 R Alvarez (Arg) 72 71 72 68; P Mitchell 71 71 70 71; M Pinero (Sp) 72 71 69 71; P Price 71 69 71 72.

----------------------------------------------------------------- Table: EUROPEAN RYDER CUP TEAM ----------------------------------------------------------------- 1 Bernhard Langer (Ger) . . . . . . . .520,438pts 2 Nick Faldo (Eng). . . . . . . . . . .513,022 3 Colin Montgomerie (Scot). . . . . . .482,003 4 Costantino Rocca (It) . . . . . . . .381,315 5 Barry Lane (Eng). . . . . . . . . . .379,440 6 Ian Woosnam (Wal) . . . . . . . . . .374,938 7 Peter Baker (Eng) . . . . . . . . . .362,659 8 Mark James (Eng). . . . . . . . . . .351,820 9 Sam Torrance (Scot) . . . . . . . . .326,929 -----------------------------------------------------------------

Three wild card selections to be named by Bernard Gallacher today.

Leading non-qualifiers: 10 J Haeggman (Swe) 288,808; 11 R Rafferty (N Irl) 283,985; 12 J-M Olazabal (Sp) 282,488; 13 M Roe (Eng) 270,965; 14 P Broadhurst (Eng) 267,146; 15 A Forsbrand (Swe) 261,223; 16 S Richardson (Eng) 252,636; 17 J Spence (Eng) 242,343; 18 G Brand Jnr (Scot) 238,476; 19 D Gilford (Eng) 238,428; 20 D Feherty (N Irl) 227,123.