Charlotte, N.C. – June 23, 2010 – American golfer Chris Baker of Brownstown, IN, with rounds of 69-66-72-68—275, became just the 10th player in European Challenge Tour history to win an event in his maiden tour start when he claimed the Moroccan Golf Classic title last weekend in El Jadida, Morocco.

Baker, a member of the eGolf Professional Tour, earned a spot in the event when the Charlotte-based tour was granted 10 exemptions by the Association du Trophée Hassan II de Golf (ATH) on March 12th of this year. The 10 spots would be awarded to the top 10 members in the tour's Golf in Morocco Classic in Columbia, SC on March 24-27, 2010. With his runner-up finish at the event, Baker earned his all-expenses-paid trip to the Moroccan Golf Classic, originally scheduled for April 21-24, 2010.

Chris BakerWhen the 10 eGolf Tour players arrived in Casablanca, Morocco on April 18th for tournament week, they were informed that the event had been postponed due to the travel delays related to the Icelandic volcano which wreaked havoc on European travel for the better part of a month. In turn, the event was re-scheduled for June 17-20, 2010, and all 10 players were invited back at no charge courtesy of the ATH.

After opening with rounds of 69-66-72, Baker entered the final round trailing 54-hole leader Jesus Maria Arruti of Spain by three shots. Through nine holes of the final round, Baker trailed by two shots following an outward nine of 1-under 35. When Arruti double-bogeyed the par-4 10th, Baker had pulled even before posting birdies at Nos. 11 and 13 to secure a one-shot cushion following an Arruti birdie at No. 12. Clinging to a one-shot lead on the tee of the 200-yard par-3 16th in the final round, Baker hit a 3-iron to 18 inches in order to set up the birdie that would provide him with a two-shot lead with two holes to go.

Closing pars on 17 and 18 would give Baker a bogey-free final-round 68 to claim a two-shot victory over Arruti and Argentina's Pablo Del Grosso. In winning the Moroccan Golf Classic, he became the first American-born player to win on the Challenge Tour since Kevin Stadler claimed the Argentine Open in December of 2005.

"I'm still in a bit of shock, to be honest," said the former Iowa State University standout. "I owe a lot of thanks to His Royal Highness, Prince Moulay Rachid, and the ATH for their hospitality this week. They took 10 American golfers and provided them with quite a memorable week in Morocco. We were treated so well, that it made the transition that much smoother coming from the United States."

Baker will earn a one-year exemption on the Challenge Tour as soon as his membership application is approved this week. Once approved, he will move to No. 17 on the tour's Order of Merit following his €24,000 first-place prize. At the conclusion of the tour's 2010 season, the top 20 players on the Order of Merit will be awarded their European Tour cards for the 2011 season. For Baker to qualify for the European Tour promotion, he must play in a minimum of eight Challenge Tour events between now and the season-ending Apulia San Domenico Grand Final on October 27-30, 2010 in Puglia, Italy.

"I am definitely going to continue to pursue my European Tour card on the Challenge Tour," said Baker, who immediately registered for this week's Challenge Tour event – the Fred Olsen Challenge de Espana in the Canary Islands. "As an American golfer, this is a rare opportunity to be able to pursue. I have re-aligned my schedule to be able to compete on both the Challenge Tour and the eGolf Tour."

With his victory, Baker joins some esteemed company in the Challenge Tour archives. In becoming just the 10th player in Challenge Tour history to win in his maiden start, Baker joins an impressive list of players who have done the same, including Darren Clarke, Trevor Immelman, Martin Kaymer and Edoardo Molinari.         

Via his win at the Moroccan Golf Classic, Baker will receive an exemption into the European Tour's Hassan II Golf Trophee next April in Agadir, Morocco. The tournament, which pairs professionals with amateurs in a Pebble Beach-style format, boasts past champions such as Ernie Els, Padraig Harrington, Nick Price, Seve Ballesteros and Lee Trevino.

Following the Fred Olsen Challenge de Espana, Baker will continue his tour of Europe as he moves north to Bastad, Sweden for The Princess on July 1-4, 2010. His next scheduled start on the eGolf Tour will be at the Southern Open in Kannapolis, NC on July 14-17, 2010.