Ian Baker-Finch

Ian Baker - Finch ( correct: Michael Ian Baker - Finch ) ( born October 24, 1960 in Nambour, Australia) is an Australian professional golfer who was best known for winning the Open Championship (British Open) in 1991.

Golf career

Ian Baker - Finch in 1979 pro. He says his game is based on the book Golf My Way (golf, my way ) by Jack Nicklaus. He began his professional career on the PGA Tour of Australasia and won his first tournament in 1983: the New Zealand Open. This victory entitled him to attend the British Open in 1984. He made headlines because he led after three rounds, but then, after a disastrous fourth round with a score of 79 only ninth.

On the European Tour, he won the 1985 Scandinavian Enterprise Open, and came in 1985 and 1986 among the top 20 in the Order of Merit. During local winter he continued to take on the PGA Tour of Australasia in part, won some titles there and occasionally played on the Japan Golf Tour.

From 1985 played Baker - Finch on the PGA Tour for which he had qualified in third place in the World Series of Golf until 1989. His first PGA Tour victory came in 1989, the Southwestern Bell Colonial, which entitled him for another two years to participate in the tour. 1990 reached Baker - Finch with three second places and two third places to 16th place on the money list.

Despite his constant career with victories on four continents, not counted Baker - Finch to the very first golf elite and was regarded by his major tournament victory in 1991, the British Open, where he defeated Mike Harwood by two strokes, as the surprise winner. This year he won three more second places and qualified again for the Tour Championship as the 13th on the money list. He was also temporarily in the top ten of the Official World Golf Rankings.

Baker - Finch's victory at the British Open could be encouraged and challenged to achieve prestigious title. But that was not the case. Although he was eligible to play until 2001 on the PGA Tour, he could not go on from his success other than a 2nd place in the Players Championship in 1992. In the years 1992 and 1993 he won minor titles outside the U.S. and its success curve decreased rapidly. He lost confidence and his last success was in 1994, a split 10th place at the U.S. Masters. Baker - Finch's performance suffered an incredible waste that was psychologically determined. Despite the best workouts he suggested, for example, his ball on the 1st tee to the fairway or wrong as at the 1995 Open Championship at St. Andrews the first ball known to be equal to first. 1995 and 1996, he failed in all 29 PGA tournaments in which he competed, either the cut, withdrew after the first round, or was disqualified. When he in 1997 in the first round 92 strokes needed at the British Open - a disastrous result for a pro golfer - he pulled back and said goodbye to the tournament golf. The only PGA tournament in which he was taking part after 1997 was 2001, the MasterCard Colonial, where, however, he missed the cut with rounds of 74 and 77.

Baker - Finch is planning to participate in the Champions Tour for seniors after his 50th birthday in 2010.

Golf commentator

In subsequent years, Baker was working as a sports commentator and commented and analyzed Golf Tournaments: 1998-2006 for ABC Sports and then for CBS Sports. When the transmitters he was known as " Finchy ".

President's Cup

In 1996 Ian Baker - Finch acted as co - captain Peter Thomson at the Presidents Cup and in the years 2003, 2005 and 2007 was as an assistant to Gary Player, the captain of the international team. In January 2008, he joined a group led by Gary Player as a charity organizer and golf course designer, eg: The Desert Course at Arabian Ranches.

Results in major tournaments

DNP = Not Taken ( Did not play) WD = Withdrawn ( Withdrew ) CUT = missed Cut

" T" indicates a shared space to Green background: Wins Yellow Background: Top Ten

Victories as a professional (16 )

PGA Tour wins (2 )

European Tour wins (2 )

Major victories in bold.

PGA Tour of Australasia - victories (10 )

Japan Golf Tour wins (2 )

Trivia

As Baker - Finch in 2007 for CBS The Barclays tournament commented, the approach shot of Rich Beem hit straight his cheek and knocked him out so that he fell to the ground behind the green. However, even before Beem reached his ball, he was fit again.