Ian Baker-Finch has been one of golf’s most familiar voices on television for three decades. Next week, he’s calling it a career.
Baker-Finch, the winner of the 1991 Open Championship and 17-time victor worldwide, will retire from CBS Sports’ golf team following the Wyndham Championship in North Carolina next week, the final event of the PGA Tour regular season. He’ll hang up the headset after spending 19 years with CBS Sports and 30 calling golf in total.
Before CBS, Baker-Finch worked as an analyst for ABC, ESPN and TNT, among others.
“After 19 incredible years as a golf analyst with CBS Sports and a remarkable 30-year journey in the industry, I am announcing my retirement from broadcasting,” Baker-Finch said in a release. “Golf has been an enormous part of my life. I was fortunate to compete against the best players in the game and more recently work with the very best in television.
“To my CBS Sports family — my teammates, producers, directors and crew — thank you for your extraordinary talent, dedication, and camaraderie. You’ve made every moment in the booth a joy, transforming broadcasts into cherished memories. To my colleagues across the industry and golf fans around the world, your support and shared love for this game over these decades have meant everything. As I step away, I carry with me immense gratitude and pride for the moments we’ve shared on and off the course. Here’s to new adventures and the enduring love of golf.”
Baker-Finch began his professional career on the Australian Tour in 1979, and has represented Australia in multiple International competitions. He served as Peter Thomson’s vice captain for the International Presidents Cup squad in 1996, and Gary Player’s assistant captain for the 2003, 2005 and 2007 International Presidents Cup teams.
He also served as Captain of the Australian men’s and women’s golf teams in the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro and the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo.
“As a major champion during his successful playing career and over three decades in broadcasting, Ian Baker-Finch distinguished himself as one of the most respected and trusted voices in golf,” David Berson, president and CEO of CBS Sports, said. “As he announces his retirement, we’ll miss his passion, insight, warmth and steady presence on the air but know he will continue to make his mark across the world of golf. Finchy will always be part of the CBS Sports family, and we thank him for being an incredible teammate and friend, and for his immeasurable contributions the past 19 years at CBS.”
Baker Finch, 64, achieved only one other Tour win, coming at the 1989 Southwestern Bell Colonial, now known as the Charles Schwab Challenge. He also finished runner-up in the 1992 Players Championship.
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