Former Cyclone Golfer Chris Baker Earns PGA Tour Card

NEWBURGH, Ind. – Former Iowa State golfer Chris Baker let out a sigh of relief when his six-foot par putt barely curled in on the 72^nd hole at the Korn Ferry Tour Championship today.

Baker carded a final-round 70 at the Victorian National Golf Club Monday to finish in a tie for fourth (13-under) in the conclusion of the three-tournament Korn Ferry Tournament Finals. The top-five finish gave Baker 230 points for a total of 263.

Why is 263 points significant? Well, those precious points Baker accrued through the three-event finals was good enough to finish 15th on the final point standings.

The top-25 players locked up their PGA Tour cards for 2020. Through 11 years of competing in various professional tours around the country, Baker has now fulfilled his childhood dream and will tee it up with the world's best golfers on the PGA Tour.

"I knew I had to make it and it snuck in the right side," Baker told the Golf Channel about his final putt. "What better challenge for a week than to make a six-footer? This is one of the best days of my life."

The significance of Baker's accomplishment is monumental. For one, he is the first Iowa State graduate to become a full-time member of the PGA Tour. Secondly, he's a testament of never giving up.

Making the PGA Tour is incredibly difficult. Most players would've given up by now. Not Baker. He never lost confidence in his abilities. His perseverance paid off, and now Baker will join the Tour as a 33-year-old rookie.

"I couldn't be anymore happy," Baker said. "It's a long time coming, a lot of work."

Baker got redemption this weekend. The top-25 players during the regular season of the Korn Ferry Tour also gained PGA Tour status. Baker had a solid season, but was the last man out at No. 26. Baker had to watch from the gallery as his PGA Tour hopes literally came down to the final hole of the 22-event regular season.

"Why wouldn't I make it interesting?" Baker told PGATour.com. "I finished 26^th in the regular season and who knows what I'm going to finish now, but I do know it's good enough. I still have a lot of work to do. The PGA TOUR season is starting in a week and a half, but I'm just extremely happy. I couldn't be more thrilled."

The Korn Ferry Finals gave Baker another chance. He missed the cut in the first event, but tied for 37^th at the Albertsons Boise Open to earn 33 points last weekend.

He had to finish in at least the top-10 in the final tournament to get inside the top-25.

Baker, a native of Brownstown, Ind., had the luxury of playing on a course less than two hours away from his hometown. With family and friends watching outside the ropes, Baker opened the tournament with a sizzling course-record 63.

"It was just a great situation, great scenario," Baker said. "Victoria National, state of Indiana, friends, family, Brownstown (Indiana). Gosh, everybody supporting me and it was amazing."

After carding rounds of 69 and 73 on Saturday and Sunday, Baker was 4-under after 16 holes in his final round today. However, a three-putt double bogey on No. 17 made it a little dicey.

His drive on the 18^th hole landed in the fairway bunker, but Baker calmly hit a crisp six-iron to 25 feet on the green. He left his first putt six feet short, but Baker was able to slide in a par and secure his card.

Baker played 13 events on the Korn Ferry Tour in 2011, but he began his consistent run on the PGA Tour's triple-A circuit in 2014. It appeared Baker was ready to break through in 2016 and 2017, finishing 35^th and 37^th, respectively, in the final point standings.

However, Baker struggled in 2018. So much so he was out of the top-100 while making just 12 cuts in 23 events. This forced Baker to go back to the Korn Ferry Tour Qualifying Tournament in order to retain playing privileges for 2019.

It looked bleak for Baker. He was way down the leaderboard heading into the final round. He knew he had to card a low number if he was going to make it. He wasn't putting well, so Baker switched flatsticks for the final round and fired a 64 to make the cut on the number.

It proved to be a confidence boost heading into the 2019 season.

Baker was remarkably consistent this year. He only missed seven cuts in 25 events, posting seven top-10s and over $180,000 in earnings. The high point of the season was a three-tournament stretch in June where he had a trio of top-10 finishes.

At the Rex Hospital Open (May 30-June 2), Baker held the 54-hole lead by four shots thanks to a career-low 60 in the second round.

Baker's career at Iowa State was extraordinary. He broke ISU's season scoring mark in his senior year at 71.66 in 2008 (it currently ranks seventh all-time) en route to First-Team All-Big 12 honors.

He was the first Cyclone to card a 64 and he still owns a share of the school's season record for top-10s (8). Baker's stellar senior season was capped off with a NCAA Regional appearance. He earned Honorable Mention All-American accolades and was the 2008 Gary Thompson Iowa State Male Athlete of the Year.

The 2019-20 PGA Tour begins Sept. 12-15 at the Military Tribute at The Greenbrier in White Sulphur Springs, W.V.

Iowa State University Athletics

Former Cyclone Golfer Chris Baker Earns PGA Tour Card

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