Masters Memories

Ian Baker-Finch recalls Adam Scott's dramatic 2013 victory at Augusta National – a win that ended Australia's 77 years of hurt

Ian Baker-Finch

For Baker-Finch, the emotion he felt resonates now as it did then when he was caught off guard on the telecast.

"Holes 18 and 10 (for the play-off) are not my holes on the CBS telecast, Jim Nantz takes those holes. It’s tricky for me because once the players go through 12 and 13, I’m off air. My microphone is not on to just say something whenever I want; I have to get invited in.

"At CBS, they have us all on towers on every hole and I’m in a prestige position there at Amen Corner. The downside of that is once I’m finished, I’m out there in the dark in this tower on my own with my headset on watching events transpire on a little monitor.

"When Jim Nantz did invite me in to comment after Scott won, it was difficult to speak because I was so caught up in it all. I didn’t realise how emotional I was when I had the chance to say something."

Baker-Finch vividly remembers how much noise there was around the golf course as the players made their way down the second playoff hole, even from his position many hundreds of metres away on his tower at Amen Corner.

"I’ve spoken to Adam about it and he said it was so noisy, he and Angel couldn’t talk to each other. When Adam hit that cut 6-iron off the side slope on 10 and Angel gave him the thumbs up, they couldn’t hear each other and that was really the only way that they could communicate.

"The sportsmanship between the two was fantastic. They’re both good friends, Presidents Cup teammates and played a lot of golf together. Angel has won a green jacket already so it probably didn’t hurt him too badly but he handled himself really well."

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