For Finau — Finish or Falter?

Estimated reading time: 10 minutes

 

JERSEY CITY, NJ. The process of being a successful tour professional is one that comes at a different pace for different players. Yes, there are those cases where someone turns professional and has instant stardom such as Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson.

But for the bulk of those looking to attain stardom among the best players in the world, it means going through a learning curve that evolves through different phases.  The first step is simply getting to the PGA TOUR. The next step is remaining there and that usually entails making cuts and having earned enough prize money to stay within the top 125.

The next step of development is getting into contention — being in the hunt and demonstrating the capacity to play with the world’s best. The next level is the hardest one — closing out tournaments with one’s name cemented on the trophy.

 

Tony Finau has been on the PGA TOUR since the 2014-15 season. In the years since he has climbed the laborious ladder to be rightly listed as one of the upper echelon players in the sport.

Being able to thrust his name up leaderboards has been something Finau has been able to do with regularity when his game is firing on all cylinders. The long deficiency rests in being able to add a few wins to his ledger. Thus far, he has only one win on the PGA TOUR. To Finau’s credit he has displayed amazing consistency — tying a PGA TOUR record of 30 top ten finishes over a four-year period (2017-2020) without a win achieved. 

Certainly, his consistency is a plus, however, his inability to finish off events remains a bewildering question mark and a nagging element all players face until it’s been put in a rear-view mirror permanently. Finau is aware of this reality and is candid in dealing with pesky media constantly mentioning it.

“Yeah, I’m motivated to win. I think whatever else comes with that, and you guys can stop talking about, whatever comes with it, it comes with it.”

The 31-year-old’s talent is clearly present. His wherewithal to hit tee shots prodigious distances — averaging just over 318 yards this week — fits in well with today’s power game players. The main concern? A balky putter at times that’s been unable to provide the kind of final round separation that moves a player into the winner’s circle.

Finau’s highest placement in the world golf rankings has been 9th — coming in December 2018. Finau started 2021 in the 19th position and has slid down three slots to 22nd. 

The stakes are high for the top players competing this week at Liberty National Golf Club — the first leg of this year’s FedEx Cup Playoffs. Through the first 36-holes Finau has played superbly — scoring 67-64 and been just one shot behind leader and world number one Jon Rahm.

The opportunity for Finau this weekend is to do what has been difficult to do previously — break through and earn a clear career changing triumph.

Hanging in the balance is another concern of interest — securing a return to the USA Ryder Cup Team with the event in just over a month’s time in Wisconsin. Finau made his first international team when picked by American Captain Jim Furyk for the 2018 Ryder Cup team in Paris and he followed that up with a selection for the 2019 Presidents Cup Team.

Securing a win this week would likely cement a position on the American team but for that to happen Finau will have to take down the likes of Rahm and such talented players as Justin Thomas and Xander Schauffele who are just two shots off the pace.

 

“I feel like I’ve played some nice golf. My last couple tournaments, the results haven’t shown I’ve played great, but I’ve played some really clean golf. I felt like I was really close to putting it all together, and so far this week, after 36 holes, I’ve kind of done that. I’ve played some clean golf and more putts have dropped, so you kind of find yourself at the top of the leaderboard when that happens,” said Finau following his second round.

But the shadow of the Ryder Cup looms and Finau stated a straightforward reply when asked.

“You try to have your game do the talking. At this point, I think that’s what it’s all about. Everybody wants to make the team. I’m included in that. I would love to be a part of that team. But at this point in the season, our games have to do the talking and I’m happy with the start of the Playoffs, and I’ve got to keep playing well I think to make the team.”

Finau’s 3rd round pairing with Rahm provides a meaningful juxtaposition to the Spaniard’s game and provide a clear benchmark in terms of how well the Utah native has truly progressed. Coming into this year there were questions Rahm needed to answer and he clearly elevated his stature with the gutsy win at the U.S. Open with back-to-back birdies at the final two holes for his first major championship. 

 

For Finau to get where he wants to go — he will need to bring to the forefront the capacity to raise his game to an even higher level. The truly gifted players do that. For a number of others — the inability to do so can cast even more lasting doubt and build scar tissue on whether the victory wall can be breached.

Finau see the weekend ahead as a clear opportunity.

“To me I’m more motivated to win. I’ve worked extremely hard on my body, on my mind, and I’ve done a lot of work on myself to just be better and try to be a better person and be a better golfer. I feel like I’ve accomplished some of those things, and hopefully getting a W just for myself to feel accomplished would be a great thing.”

Closing out tournaments is the hardest aspect at the highest levels of professional golf. Undoubtedly, execution is needed but a certain amount of karma is also involved.

Finau’s journey takes on added meaning this weekend and no one know that better than Tony. Will he finish or falter? That remains the crucial question to be answered with two rounds to go.

 

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Pos.	Player	To Par	R1	R2	Total
1	Jon Rahm *	-12	63	67	130
2	Tony Finau	-11	67	64	131
T3	Keith Mitchell *	-10	68	64	132
T3	Xander Schauffele	-10	70	62	132
T3	Justin Thomas *	-10	63	69	132
T6	Tom Hoge *	-9	69	64	133
T6	Kevin Na	-9	67	66	133
T6	Alex Noren	-9	69	64	133
T6	Harold Varner III	-9	66	67	133
T10	Brooks Koepka	-8	70	64	134
T10	Jordan Spieth	-8	72	62	134
T12	Patrick Cantlay	-7	68	67	135
T12	Viktor Hovland	-7	68	67	135
T12	Robert Streb *	-7	67	68	135
T12	Cameron Tringale *	-7	67	68	135
T12	Lee Westwood	-7	70	65	135
T17	Keegan Bradley *	-6	69	67	136
T17	Bryson DeChambeau *	-6	71	65	136
T17	Mackenzie Hughes	-6	67	69	136
T17	Sungjae Im	-6	71	65	136
T17	Zach Johnson	-6	70	66	136
T17	Hudson Swafford	-6	71	65	136
T17	Aaron Wise *	-6	69	67	136
T17	Erik van Rooyen	-6	69	67	136
T25	Harris English *	-5	69	68	137
T25	Lanto Griffin *	-5	69	68	137
T25	Garrick Higgo	-5	69	68	137
T25	Patton Kizzire	-5	70	67	137
T25	Hideki Matsuyama	-5	69	68	137
T25	Sebastián Muñoz *	-5	68	69	137
T25	Pat Perez *	-5	71	66	137
T25	Seamus Power	-5	70	67	137
T25	Chez Reavie	-5	71	66	137
T25	Adam Schenk *	-5	73	64	137
T25	Cameron Smith	-5	69	68	137
T36	Sam Burns *	-4	71	67	138
T36	Cameron Champ	-4	68	70	138
T36	Joel Dahmen *	-4	70	68	138
T36	Brian Harman	-4	72	66	138
T36	Charley Hoffman *	-4	73	65	138
T36	Anirban Lahiri	-4	69	69	138
T36	Shane Lowry	-4	71	67	138
T36	Ian Poulter *	-4	72	66	138
T36	Scottie Scheffler *	-4	70	68	138
T36	Webb Simpson *	-4	72	66	138
T46	Stewart Cink *	-3	71	68	139
T46	Corey Conners *	-3	70	69	139
T46	Cam Davis	-3	69	70	139
T46	Harry Higgs	-3	69	70	139
T46	K.H. Lee *	-3	71	68	139
T46	Marc Leishman *	-3	69	70	139
T46	Peter Malnati *	-3	70	69	139
T46	Maverick McNealy *	-3	69	70	139
T46	Carlos Ortiz	-3	69	70	139
T46	Andrew Putnam	-3	69	70	139
T46	Kevin Streelman *	-3	69	70	139
T57	Talor Gooch *	-2	73	67	140
T57	Russell Henley *	-2	69	71	140
T57	Kramer Hickok	-2	72	68	140
T57	Max Homa *	-2	74	66	140
T57	Chris Kirk	-2	72	68	140
T57	Brandt Snedeker	-2	72	68	140
T63	Abraham Ancer *	-1	72	69	141
T63	Daniel Berger *	-1	71	70	141
T63	Paul Casey *	-1	70	71	141
T63	Dylan Frittelli *	-1	70	71	141
T63	Doug Ghim *	-1	71	70	141
T63	James Hahn	-1	71	70	141
T63	Billy Horschel	-1	71	70	141
T63	Luke List *	-1	71	70	141
T63	Denny McCarthy	-1	73	68	141
T63	Rory McIlroy *	-1	71	70	141
T63	Joaquin Niemann *	-1	71	70	141
T63	Scott Piercy *	-1	71	70	141
T63	Gary Woodland	-1	71	70	141
CUT	Emiliano Grillo	E	70	72	142
CUT	Dustin Johnson	E	70	72	142
CUT	Si Woo Kim	E	72	70	142
CUT	Russell Knox	E	70	72	142
CUT	Jason Kokrak	E	70	72	142
CUT	Martin Laird	E	73	69	142
CUT	Tyler McCumber	E	72	70	142
CUT	Ryan Palmer	E	73	69	142
CUT	Sam Ryder	E	72	70	142
CUT	Adam Scott	E	67	75	142
CUT	Kyle Stanley	E	75	67	142
CUT	Jhonattan Vegas	E	70	72	142
CUT	Matt Fitzpatrick	+1	73	70	143
CUT	Sergio Garcia	+1	75	68	143
CUT	Brice Garnett	+1	72	71	143
CUT	Lucas Glover	+1	74	69	143
CUT	Chesson Hadley	+1	75	68	143
CUT	Adam Long	+1	72	71	143
CUT	Charl Schwartzel	+1	72	71	143
CUT	Sepp Straka	+1	73	70	143
CUT	Bubba Watson	+1	71	72	143
CUT	Branden Grace	+2	71	73	144
CUT	Tyrrell Hatton	+2	72	72	144
CUT	Collin Morikawa	+2	74	70	144
CUT	Matthew NeSmith	+2	74	70	144
CUT	Brian Gay	+3	72	73	145
CUT	Adam Hadwin	+3	75	70	145
CUT	Hank Lebioda	+3	76	69	145
CUT	Troy Merritt	+3	72	73	145
CUT	Phil Mickelson	+3	73	72	145
CUT	Henrik Norlander	+3	70	75	145
CUT	C.T. Pan	+3	74	71	145
CUT	Doc Redman	+3	73	72	145
CUT	Scott Stallings	+3	74	71	145
CUT	Brendan Steele	+3	78	67	145
CUT	Brian Stuard	+3	73	72	145
CUT	Jason Day	+4	73	73	146
CUT	Brandon Hagy	+5	78	69	147
CUT	Richy Werenski	+5	76	71	147
CUT	Wyndham Clark	+6	78	70	148
CUT	Brendon Todd	+6	73	75	148
CUT	Matt Jones	+7	79	70	149
CUT	Matt Kuchar	+7	75	74	149
CUT	Kevin Kisner	+8	76	74	150
CUT	Matthew Wolff	+8	76	74	150
CUT	Roger Sloan	+9	79	72	151
CUT	J.T. Poston	+11	76	77	153
WD	Matt Wallace	E
* Player started on the back nine