Former Iowa State golfer Chris Baker finished in a tie for 26th place at his first career major ending June 20. The 35-year-old qualified for the U.S. Open at the Torrey Pines golf course in San Diego during early June.

Baker solidified himself as an all-time great Iowa State athlete during his collegiate career, earning the 2007-08 Iowa State Male Athlete of the Year award. Baker graduated with a degree in marketing and management after appearing on the Academic All-America team in 2007 and again in 2008. Once he graduated from Iowa State, he began his golf career, working extremely hard to get to where he is today.

Baker finished the event with a total score of 287 (74-71-69-73), translating to three strokes over par. After two rounds, the tournament cut some golfers, and Baker sat just one stroke above the cutline. This set up the highlight of Baker’s weekend, his 69-stroke penultimate round, which tied him for the eighth-best third-round score.

Baker earned a major pay day as the PGA listed his official earnings as $87,941. After what was his best finish since making his PGA Tour debut in 2020, Baker looks to continue to pursue strong performances at the highest level.