For 41 years, Ian Baker-Finch has created some beautiful memories for the fans in golf. First, as a player, he played in 167 PGA Tour events, getting two amazing wins. The 1991 Open Championship was his biggest achievement, where he beat a strong field with Fred Couples, Seve Ballesteros, Bernhard Langer, and fellow Australian Greg Norman. This wasn’t just a major win; it was a career summit that came after years of perseverance. What made it more poignant was that just a few seasons later, he struggled with form and confidence, eventually stepping away from competitive play. Yet, instead of fading from the sport, he reinvented himself, not with clubs, but with a mic.

In the past 30 years, he has entertained the fans as a broadcaster, one of the leading members of the CBS crew. And as he closes this chapter of golf in his life, Jim Nantz had a beautiful message to share in dedication to Baker-Finch’s illustrious career.

During the ongoing 3M Open, the famed reporter introduced a video collage that showed clips and snippets of the best moments of Ian’s career. With that, Nantz also confirmed that his colleague will officially retire after their trip to the Sedgefield Country Club for the 2025 Wyndham Championship. While calling him a ‘rockstar‘, Jim highlighted how some of his amazing achievements, like winning The Open Championship, transitioning from “a great player to a great broadcaster”, and now a “legend in the booth”.

The entire episode brought a tear to Ian Baker-Finch’s eyes. He shared how much he loved being in the position and what an amazing journey it has been. He said, “It’s been a great run. I’ve had not only the 19 years at CBS, it’s now been 30 years I’ve been doing the television. I love it. I love the game. You guys know. I think Colt says it all the time: no one loves the game more than Finchy. And I do, I really love it. I love the team here. It’s not just a team, it’s not just a network. It’s a family here at CBS. And I’ll miss everybody.”

At CBS, Baker-Finch became known for his warmth. He brought a player’s eye to the booth, explaining not just what a golfer was doing, but why. His breakdowns of strategy on tough holes and empathetic reads during pressure shots helped casual fans grasp the intricacies of the game.

The heartfelt speech showed how much Ian Baker-Finch was giving up by retiring as an analyst. But as Jim Nantz mentioned, the veteran broadcaster had decided to step away from the role to focus on spending more time with his family. As he concludes the coverage of the 2025 3M Open and prepares for the Wyndham Championship, fans will surely miss the incredible insights he brought to the broadcast. With that, let’s take a look at some of the other achievements of the outgoing broadcaster.

Jim Nantz’s CBS colleague’s legendary status as a broadcaster

On the course, Ian Baker-Finch has certainly reached the top of the mountain by beating the best golfers in the world to win The Open 1991. Apart from his 2 PGA Tour wins, he also had the 1985 Scandinavian Enterprise Open for the DP World Tour under his belt. However, his record as a broadcaster is just as illustrious, considering its longevity and the value he added to the role.

Since becoming an analyst, Baker-Finch has worked for ABC/ESPN and CBS. During his first stint with ABC/ESPN, he mostly worked as a lead analyst before taking up the hole announcer role when Jack Nicklaus and Paul Azinger joined the panel in 2004. Since 2006, Finch has held both roles for 19 years at CBS and has become a reliable and recognized name in the industry. Over the years, he has covered over 100 majors alongside various other experts like Nantz himself. Still only 64, Ian Baker-Finch will certainly have many proud moments to look back on as he moves to the next chapter of his life that might not include golf as much.