Baker-Finch, Ian

Professional Golfer, Broadcaster

Ian Baker-Finch, winner of 17 tournaments worldwide, including the 1991 Open Championship, has been a member of the CBS Sports golf team as an analyst for the Network’s golf coverage since 2007.

Baker-Finch began his professional golfing career on the Australian Tour in 1979, and after more than a decade of successful competition around the world, he won the 1991 Open Championship at Royal Birkdale. From 1983- 93, Baker-Finch won 17 titles worldwide including tournaments on all four major Tours. He represented Australia in the 1985 World Cup, four World Tours Championships from 1985-91 and the Dunhill Cup in 1989 and 1992. Baker-Finch also served as Peter Thomson’s Vice Captain for the International Presidents Cup Team in 1996, as well as Gary Players’ Assistant Captain for the 2003, 2005 and 2007 International Presidents Cup Team.

Appointed by the Australian Olympic Committee, Baker-Finch served as Team Leader (Captain) of the Australian men’s and women’s golf teams that competed in the 2016 Summer Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. He will assume the same role this July at the Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Japan.

Prior to CBS, Baker-Finch worked for more than a decade as a golf analyst for all the major tours throughout the world on Australian television, as well as ABC and ESPN. He also worked for TNT as an analyst for its golf coverage. He began competing on the Champions Tour in 2011, shortly after his 50th birthday. Baker-Finch travels extensively, fulfilling his passion to play the world’s top-rated golf courses while honing his skills as a golf course designer. Baker-Finch Design has been involved in golf course design for the last two decades, and lists the “Desert Course” at Arabian Ranches, Dubai as his favorite golf design work-to-date.

In 2000, Baker-Finch was recognized by the Australian Government as a recipient of the Australian Sports Medal, which honors individuals for high level of achievement in sports. He is a life member of both the Australian PGA and Australian PGA Tour.

Baker-Finch was born October 24, 1960 in Nambour, Queensland, Australia. Since 2000, he has lived in the Palm Beach Gardens area with his wife, Jennie. He has two daughters, Hayley and Laura.