Jess Baker looks ahead to competing on the Ladies European Tour in 2025 having earned a card through the eight-round marathon of Q School
Fresh from earning the opportunity to compete on the Ladies European Tour in 2025, Jess Baker has a lot to look forward to in her first full season as a professional golfer.
Having graduated from the University of Central Florida in the summer of 2024, Jess – the 2022 Women’s Amateur champion – competed on the amateur circuit at home and around Europe before turning professional on the eve of the LET Access Series’ Destination Gotland Ladies Open in August.
“I think it was time,” says Jess on turning professional – a huge move but one which ultimately required just one email informing the LET that she was now eligible for prize money.
“It’s weird how quickly it happens, having spent so long thinking about it. That first day was weird, but it was time. I’d played in all the events I could with England, and once I knew my place at Q School was safe, I thought I might as well give myself a chance to earn some money at events I was playing anyway.”
Having left amateur golf – and her college and England teammates – behind her, within six starts – including a sixth-place finish in the Ladies Slovak Golf Open and a 14th place finish at the Lavaux Ladies Open – Jess secured her Access Series card for 2025.
However, there was still the chance to get onto the LET at the first time of asking at qualifying school in Morocco in December.
With experience in majors and LPGA Tour events following her win in the Women’s Amateur, Jess says she wasn’t fazed by the transition.
“Playing a mix of the biggest amateur events and Access Series as an amateur, you’re often competing against a lot of the same players, or ones you played with just a year or two ago,” she says.
“Those final events as an amateur were really special. My final Women’s Amateur stands out as I have so many memories at that event. There was also a European bronze medal with England, and I was so happy to play the Home Internationals as my final event with that amazing team – that’s how I wanted to wrap up my amateur career.
“I miss team golf the most,” she adds. “That atmosphere is amazing and I learned so much from the team environment and structure, but it was time to go out on my own.”
The change to being her own boss and competing on her own terms has had a big impact on Jess.
“The way I look at golf and my career has changed so much since 2022, when I was dropped from the college team and at the bottom in terms of self-confidence. Everything changed that summer on the course, but I also began to change how I think about the game and what I do in it.
“Going from so much structure in America to only answering to myself was an adjustment.
“Being back at home in Newcastle has its pros and cons too. I get to see my coach Andy [Paisley] more, and see my friends, but it can be tough to find routine.
“It comes down to being professional. That’s something I work on, developing myself as well as my golf game. Planning is important and from there it’s just about getting on with the work and making the most of my time – even when it’s the middle of winter in the North East!”
For Jess, planning out her long-term golf career has become far less important, and she’s no longer in a rush to reach the next step after going through so much change last season.
“There’s so much to get used to, you have to be able to stop and think. That’s something I’m a lot better at now,” she says. “The travelling has been interesting, with events in Slovakia and then Q School in Morocco. There’s a lot to take in off the course and then you need to focus and do what you’ve been training for when you get out there. Ultimately, it all comes back to shooting the best score I can by taking one shot at a time.”
Having followed her career from its earliest days with regional squad coaching and county events, it’s fascinating to see how much Jess’ outlook has developed.
“My self-confidence can be fragile, but the experiences of the majors, playing in front of thousands of people and Collin Morikawa at the Celebration of Champions at St Andrews, winning big events… Once I’d done those things, I felt like I could get on with anything on a golf course.
“Recently, I’ve learned to care so much less about bad golf. I’ve also learned that I’m doing this for me and all the decisions are mine. That mindset is really freeing.”
A golfer who has always craved feedback, Jess now focuses on analysing her game more internally and having a much longer-term outlook.
“I know how I feel about how I’ve played, good or bad, and I can get on with it now. I’m not concerned about a bad shot or bad round like I used to be because I know how many are coming up. That’s a huge change mentally and having struggled with anxiety and the pressure of expectation, I’m so much more chill now. I’m not saying I do it perfectly every day, but I’m definitely a lot better at it.”
The biggest event of Jess’ fledgling professional career came in December at the LET’s Lalla Aicha Q School in Morocco.
Having made it through the three-round pre-qualifier after a nervy third round, Jess shot rounds of 74, 72, 70, 73 and 68 – including four birdies in her final six holes on the last day – to finish in a tie for 36th place and earn category 16 membership of the Ladies European Tour. That status is expected to give her a place in around 15 events in 2025. Combined with her full Access Series status, Jess will have a full year of professional golf in Europe and further afield.
“I’d been building to Q School for most of the year, then all of a sudden it was time to head out there,” says Jess. “All I had to do was play good golf. Eight rounds against an international field is a big mountain to climb, but I couldn’t do anything worrying about the outcome, I just prepared as well as I ever had and got on with the job.
“I did a great job of staying on the one thing I was doing during my preparation – and I’ll take that forward into this season. All those small achievements fall into place eventually.”
After an intense week, including a nerve-wracking wait to find out whether she’d made it into Final Stage, Jess is sure she doesn’t want to go back to Q School ever again.
“I knew I could get an LET card, but getting there is a whole other thing. That pressure is real, no matter where it comes from. I really felt it in the first round – birdieing the first then dropping five shots in six holes.
“Having Sean [Russell] caddying for me was so important that day. Having driven it into a bush on my seventh hole, he really helped me pause, take stock and ultimately make the right decision to go back to the tee. I made a bogey – a birdie with my second ball – and that settled me into the round. His composure in that moment was so helpful and after that hole I felt free to play Jess Baker golf rather than scared golf.”
While she has developed her mental approach to the game so much, doubts still creep in when the pressure increases.
“Everything I learned that week will be so important going forward. I learned that I’m good enough to be out there, and that I can do it even when I get stressed out or begin to doubt myself. The what if thoughts don’t help me on the course and recognising that is so important.”
A member of the Ladies European Tour in her first full year as a professional, Jess has a lot to look forward to in 2025.
“I didn’t grow up dreaming of being a pro golfer, but now I’m there, it feels really good.
“It’s crazy when you think back to being in the county and England regional coaching squads, all those hours practising through the winter. Ultimately, I’m still the same person, I’m just a bit older and playing golf somewhere different.”
Having already hit tens of thousands of balls and made millions of tiny decisions to get to this stage of her career, the challenges will keep coming in 2025. A far more resilient golfer with a wealth of experience, Jess is excited about what lies ahead.
“There’s a lot that could happen this year and so many opportunities,” she says. “There’ll be some late calls to play in LET events as I just make it into the fields, but my first full season was always going to be a very developmental one. Being a rookie on tour will bring lots of opportunities and I’ll learn so much. It’s going to be a year of figuring things out and not putting unnecessary pressure on the outcomes. That said, the next task is to win as a professional.”
Jess – who recently became an attached tour professional at Close House – is hoping to begin her 2025 season with LET events in South Africa before balancing her schedule between the LET and Access Series as she aims to improve her LET category throughout the season and ultimately secure a full card for 2026.
“One good week can change my whole season and give me full control of my schedule. Getting re-ranked is hard to do and all I can control is preparing properly and committing fully to everything I’m doing. From there, let’s see where this season takes me.”
