Florida State University Athletics
2018-19 Men's Golf Roster
Roster
Bennett Baker
- Year:
- Senior
- Hometown:
- Tallahassee, Fla.
- High School:
- Chiles
Career Honors:
- Ends his career 28th all-time at Florida State with a 73.04 career average.
- ACC Academic Honor Roll (2016).
Senior Season (2018-19):
- Recorded a 73.32 scoring average in his senior year, played in eight events.
- Totaled two Top 30 finishes in 2018-19, tying for 21st at the Sea Best Invitational and tying for 29th at the ACC Men’s Golf Championship.
- Lowest three-round aggregate score was a 4-over 214 (73-72-69) at the Sea Best Invitational.
- Carded a season-low 66 in the second round of the Cabo Collegiate at Querencia.
- Had three rounds in the 60s, including a pair of final-round 69s at the Sea Best Invitational and the Seminole Intercollegiate.
- Made one appearance in the fall 2018, carding a 2-over 218 at the Golf Club of Georgia Collegiate Invitational.
Junior Season (2017-18):
- Made more strides as a junior, shooting a career-low 72.30 in 10 events played (30 rounds).
- Recorded four Top-10 finishes, highlighted by winning the USA Individual Tournament at 4-under on Feb. 13, 2018.
- One of four Seminoles to shoot 6-under in a single round in 2017-18, carding a 66 in the second round of the Gary Koch Invitational.
- Also recorded Top-10 finishes at The Doc Gimmler (T10th), the Gary Koch Invitational (T6th) and the ACC Championship (T8th).
- Shot par or lower in 15 of his 30 rounds played.
- Totaled eight rounds in the 60s, twice the amount of his previous season high of four in the 2016-17 season.
- His aggregate score of 207 at the ACC Championship marked a new career low (9-under).
- Led the Seminoles with four eagles in 2017-18, tying his 2016-17 total for the seventh-most by a Seminole in a year.
- His 3.10 par 3 scoring average is the 10th lowest by a Seminole in a single year.
- Had four eagles for the second consecutive year, tying for the seventh-most in a season at FSU.
Sophomore Season (2016-17):
- Showed great improvement in second year, shooting 73.19 in eight events.
- Shot +1.48 vs. par, cutting down his average dramatically from his freshman year.
- Recorded two Top-10 finishes, tying for eighth at the ACC Championship (2-under 214) and tying for 10th at the Cabarrus County Irish Creek Intercollegiate (-2 211).
- His three-round score of 211 at the Cabarrus County Irish Creek Intercollegiate tied his career low, matching the 211 he shot in his debut at the 2015 Fighting Illini Invitational.
- Finished at par or better in nearly half of his 21 rounds played (nine rounds).
- His low rounds of the year including a pair of 4-under 68s in the first round of the Seminole Intercollegiate and the second round of the Southern Intercollegiate.
- Recorded four eagles on the year, tying for the seventh-most in a season in FSU Golf history.
- Led the Seminoles with a 4.59 average on par-5 holes, the second-best in a year in school history while ranking 26th nationally.
Freshman Season (2015-16):
• Played in five tournaments as a freshman, shooting a 74.71 in 14 rounds overall.
• Showed glimpses of his potential in the Fall 2015, shooting a 66 in his collegiate debut at the Olympia Fields Invitational.
• Tied for ninth at the Olympia Fields Invitational, finishing with a 1-over 211.
• Played six rounds in the fall and had a scoring average of 73.17.
• Tied for 41st at the Seminole Intercollegiate, including a 2-under 70 in the second round.
Before FSU:
- Played golf locally at Chiles High School.
- Named the Tallahassee Democrat’s All-Big Bend Player of the Year in 2013 and 2014.
- Three-time Tallahassee Democrat All-Big Bend First Team selection.
- Won the AJGA Junior Steelwood in 2013 after shooting a 202 (71-65-66).
- Winner of the Florida Junior Tour at Southwood Country Club in 2015 with a two-day score of 138 (72-66).
- Posted four Top 15 finishes in Florida State Golf Association tournaments in 2013, including a fifth-place finish at Pensacola Country Club with a score of 148.
- Placed third at Brooksville Country Club in 2014 with a 144 (72-72) over two days.
- Second place at the 2014 AJGA Taylor-Made Adidas Golf Junior at Innisbrook (217 – 72-74-71).
- Shot a 281 (67-72-70-72) and placed 14th at the Southeastern Amateur in Columbus, Ga.
All About Me:
• Born: November 1, 1996.
• Parents: John and Leslie Baker.
• Major: Finance.
• How did you first start getting into golf? My dad.
• What would you say is your greatest golf moment so far? Holing out at NCAA Regionals.
• Who is your favorite professional golfer? Tiger Woods because he got me loving the game as a kid.
• My favorite club in my bag is: My putter because it looks good.
• I chose to play for Florida State Men’s Golf because: It had been my dream growing up.
• What is something many people don’t know about you? I’m good at video games.
• What is the best advice you have ever received? Stay patient in a tournament, especially if you’re in contention. If the person you are playing birdies the first three holes, so what. Yours are coming.
• What music are you currently listening to? Everything.
• What shows are you currently watching? Breaking Bad and Entourage.
• What’s your favorite movie? John Wick.
• Outside of golf, what are some of your passions in life? Family and friends.
• What is the single greatest lesson golf has taught you? To be respectful and have good personal skills.
• What are the top three things on your bucket list?
o Skydiving.
o Buy a boat.
o Travel.
• If you could be any superhero, which one would you be? Bane because of his goatee.
• What makes Florida State University a great place? The tradition and things available to us to get better.
Bennett Baker By The Numbers:
• Round: 66 (Fighting Illini Invitational, Fall 2015; Gary Koch Invitational, Spring 2018; Cabo Collegiate at Querencia, Spring 2019)
• Tournament: 207 (ACC Championship, Spring 2018)
• Best Finish: 1st (USA Individual Tournament, Spring 2018)
