Baird Prepares for Professional Debut
Sam Baird, who recently won the English play offs to earn his place on the Main Tour is warming up at the Businessland Under 21s event.
Sam Baird is not a name that snooker fans will readily recognise, but he's made his mark in both EASB English events and in the Pontin's based Businessland under 21 series.
He came through six Businessland events last season to finish as the number one player of the series and he's back this season, trying to repeat that feat and, in his own words "earn some money."
With a healthy £450 on offer to the winner of a Businessland event, it justifies the long trip up from Devon.
Having won event three, he currently sits at number one on the rankings, just ahead of Liam Highfield.
Event number five is live at Pontin's, Prestatyn this weekend and Baird came through the group stages as number two seed, headed only by Kettering's Kyren Wilson.
He's found himself in a hard section of the knockout draw, potentially having to face Lee Page, a former Main Tour professional, in the second round and three players who competed in the European Under 19s earlier in the year are also in the same half.
Baird, who celebrated his twenty-first birthday this week, is excited by his jump up to being a Main Tour Professional.
He trailed 5-1 in the final of the English play offs, to English Amateur finalist David Craggs, but somehow he clawed his way back into the match and emerged a 6-5 winner.
"I just kept trying, I wasn't going to give up", said Baird, who's been playing snooker since his parents bought him a small table when he was six.
Hailing from Ullculme, near Exeter, he becomes the first Devonian player to join the pro ranks since Andy Hicks. He plays a lot of his snoooker at his local Tiverton Constitutional Club, but is also a member of the excellent West of England Billiards & Snooker Foundation (WEBSF), where he is coached by Steve Canniford.
Sam was selected by Pontin's earlier this year to be one of their sponsored players, joining other Pontin's players such as Michael White, Jack Lisowski and Andrew Norman.
But he still has one logo space for which he is seeking sponsorship, to help what will be an expensive season out on the Professional Tour.
