Ian Baker-Finch’s story was as soon as labelled “the saddest in golf” by the late five-time British Open profitable Australian legend Peter Thomson.
Now, in a newly-released, authorised biography by Geoff Saunders titled ‘Ian Baker-Finch: To Hell and Again’, the previous Open champion has opened up in revealing new element on what it was prefer to hit all-time low at main — simply six years on from profitable it.
The 64-year-old from Nambour in Queensland’s Sunshine Coast boasts some of the recognisable Australian accents in all of sports activities as one in every of golf’s most esteemed broadcasters.
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His virtually three-decade journey behind the microphone started on an notorious Thursday at Royal Troon in 1997.
Earlier winners of the famed Claret Jug are invited to play in The Open yearly till they flip 55 years previous, but 1991 champion Baker-Finch final graced the British hyperlinks on the age of simply 36.
With the good thing about hindsight, he admits now that he ought to have known as it quits even earlier.
Baker-Finch shot 92 within the opening spherical of the 1997 Open Championship.
It’s the form of rating a typical weekend hacker could also be proud of round a serious championship course, however 20-over par was merely embarrassing for knowledgeable, not to mention a one-time Champion Golfer of the 12 months.
Understandably, Baker-Finch was lowered to tears within the locker room.
However he bravely fronted as much as communicate to the media, with spouse Jennie by his facet.
He additionally in some way managed to compose himself to leap into the commentary sales space that afternoon.
Baker-Finch had travelled to Scotland dedicated to commentate, however reluctant to play.
The week prior was spent crammed right into a automotive on a golf journey of Eire along with his coach on the time, Gary Edwin, in addition to mates Kevin Cross and fellow skilled Grant Dodd.
His troublesome again was feeling worse for put on from the various hours spent on the highway, and he had Cross’ phrases ringing in his ears, “You take ten Advil per day and can be silly to play together with your sore again”.
Coupled with the unravelling of his sport lately — Baker-Finch infamously hooked his first tee shot out-of-bounds left, lacking the widest fairway in golf, at St Andrews two years earlier, and he missed the reduce, withdrew after one spherical, or was disqualified in all 29 PGA Tour occasions he began throughout 1995 and 1996 — the selection was apparent.
Baker-Finch even despatched his caddie dwelling.
However his thoughts was modified by his countrymen.
“Many of the Aussie boys had been saying, “Finchy, you will have performed each Open since 1984, why would you not play on this one?” So, I did,” Baker-Finch remembers within the guide.
Australian tennis legend Todd Woodbridge, who was staying on the identical resort that week and is a pal of Baker-Finch’s, provided to hold his bag within the absence of knowledgeable caddie.
In the long run, probably the most profitable doubles participant of all time may actually solely supply a shoulder to cry on within the locker room, alongside Gary Edwin and Jennie, after some of the brutal rounds in main championship historical past.
“It was only a nightmare. I hit each drive within the left tough,” Baker-Finch says within the guide.
“It was a kind of Troon days with the wind howling at forty miles an hour and I believe the typical rating for the sector within the first spherical on the again 9 was forty. It was a troublesome day. My again was hurting, and I floor it out and shot 92.”
It was an astonishing fall from grace from his triumph at Royal Birkdale six years earlier.
Baker-Finch produced blistering weekend rounds of 64 and 66 to elevate the Claret Jug, two photographs forward of fellow Australian Mike Harwood, whereas compatriots Craig Parry and Greg Norman had been additionally within the high ten that week.
He had received professionally 17 occasions around the globe, together with on the PGA Tour, the European Tour, in Japan, in New Zealand and at dwelling in Australia.
However his sport had abandoned him, and he signed his scorecard considering, “I simply can’t do that anymore”.
So, he didn’t do it any longer.
He withdrew from the match and retired from the skilled sport there after which.
“It was not that I couldn’t play,” Baker-Finch says.
“I simply couldn’t play underneath stress. My tee photographs had been the issue and I saved hitting these horrible low hooks.
“As soon as I had hit one, it was exhausting to cease hitting them for the remainder of the day.”
Baker-Finch’s media profession turned a saviour for his relationship with the game.
Being an everyday fixture at PGA Tour occasions helped him strike up a powerful rapport with the likes of fellow Australian main champions Adam Scott, Jason Day and Cameron Smith, who all emerged after the flip of the century.
He even had the privilege of being on air for Scott’s 2013 Masters triumph the place he delivered the unforgettable line of ‘from down underneath to the highest of the world’.
He has maintained a deep reference to the sport in his dwelling nation regardless of residing in Florida.
Baker-Finch is the Chair of the PGA of Australia, whereas he additionally had the honour of captaining the Australian golf staff for the game’s return to the Olympic Video games in Rio in 2016, and once more in Tokyo 5 years later.
However regardless of the great that has come from escaping taking part in duties, Baker-Finch believes he may have waited a short time longer to make the transition from on target to off it.
“I then stupidly confronted the media and adopted by engaged on the TV protection within the afternoon for ABC, which was equally silly, however I had dedicated to it,” he recalled.
“I completed the Thursday afternoon protection and advised ABC I used to be going dwelling. They by no means paid me, however I used to be form of glad they’d not.
“Jack Graham mentioned to me, ‘Hopefully you may type it out and get again to taking part in, however for those who don’t you will have a job with ABC in America subsequent 12 months’.”
Baker-Finch additionally needs he had listened to his physique, and to his pal Kevin Cross.
He regrets taking part in that 12 months at Royal Troon, and believes if he had not, he could have been capable of resurrect his taking part in profession.
“If I had not performed that first spherical within the 1997 Open, I consider I’ll have figured it out, come again and performed once more,” he says within the guide.
“My rating of ninety-two left me with a lot baggage. The worry of going out and doing it once more turned an insurmountable barrier for me.”
You possibly can learn the entire story in Ian Baker-Finch: To Hell And Again by Geoff Saunders revealed by Hardie Grant Books
Out there in any respect bookstores nationally