Tony Finau is ready for the exciting tournament in 2023 as the five-time PGA Tour winner continues to gather confidence
How many golfers have generated more excitement about this upcoming year than Tony Finau? The list isn’t long, especially after Finau’s win at the Houston Open over the weekend, where he beat Tyson Alexander 4 to win the third of his last seven PGA Tour starts.
This is not the level of success many have envisioned Finau this year. Finau finished T19 at the Small Court Champions League in January but didn’t break into the top 25 until the Mexican Open the first week in May, where he finished T2. Since then, he has enjoyed success in his career, at least in terms of victories.
Finau said after the Houston win: “Yes, this is definitely the biggest part of my game, but I can say I’ve played a lot of good golf in a while. “I don’t have a lot of wins to show for it, but I put a game together, and that’s what you have to do here. You know, with my experience, again like me. alluded to, try to be more than a precision player, because I don’t lack speed, so learning to ride it on the fairway, working on my wedge, working on my stroke me, those are all things that I worked so hard on.
“And I feel like I’ve been a very solid player for a long time, but it’s exciting for me that I’m getting better and that’s all I can ask of myself. is to try and get better at the areas where I really need to. And then remember why you are where you are. I think I haven’t strayed too far from the DNA in my game and how I seeing the game and I think I’m delivering the fruits of the way I see the game now and I can hit shots that I can see, which is pretty cool.”
Including that Mexico Open, Finau has seven top five finishes in 15 starts, including three of his five career PGA Tour wins. It runs deeper than that; With his improved short play, Finau is one of only eight golfers to have averaged more than 2.0 strokes per round — top five in the world — since June 1, and he’s almost with 1st place rather than 1st place . 8.
- Rory McIlroy: SG 3.0/round
- Tony Finau: 2.6
- Patrick Cantlay: 2.4
- Xander Schauffele: 2.4
- Jon Rahm: 2.4
- Dustin Johnson: 2.3
- Will Zalatoris: 2.2
- Daniel Berger: 2.0
This is where the excitement comes in. McIlroy is clearly playing at the top level, but Finau is not far behind. Whether he can sustain that into a new year that begins with some monster leagues and includes four pro tournaments in seven months, but apparently Finau has moved it to a different device.
“I’ve always felt very strong mentally,” Finau said on Sunday. “Sometimes I feel as if once my game matches my mental attitude, I feel like I can become a great player. I feel like I’ve been a good player, can show some excellent points in the development stages, but to be consistent, to always be great have a full match both mentally and physically, and to be honest, I feel that the match My physicality is starting to match my spirit. I’ve always been tough, I’ve always been mentally strong. There’s a match to that, I think, a great combination and I start to see it with yourself.”
Statistically speaking, Finau is underperforming in all four major categories compared to his career average. That doesn’t seem sustainable, even though none of them that beyond his baseline. Are we watching a player completely jump into another category or is it simply a hot shot of golf that will boost the Wikipedia page?
However, there is a difference in winning at 3M and the Houston Opens and doing it at the Riviera and Memorial. Will this recent small jump be enough to put Finau ahead at some advanced event (or even majors) in 2023?
The answers to those questions will help determine if the excitement around the world No. 12 is about to enter 2023. While Finau has thrived in major championships in the past (top 10 out of 26 starts), he hasn’t really played late on Sunday. What’s even more puzzling is that he’s never crossed the 9th spot in the Official World Golf Rankings – but that looks like it will be next year.
The First Cut podcast team is back to bring you their recap of the Cadence Bank Houston Open. Follow and listen to The First Cut on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
If you put me on the list of players I’m most excited to watch and evaluate in 2023, McIlroy, Finau, Rahm, Jordan Spieth and (perhaps frustratingly) Matthew Fitzpatrick are probably one of five individuals. . It all boils down to a crossroads of intrigue, backlash, talent, and unknown pieces in a way that most other players, at least at this intersection, don’t.
Finau can win in 2023 or he can win two major titles and be the PGA Tour Player of the Year. His long history and recent performance combine to produce a possible range of results that is the widest of any player in the world currently.
One thing is for sure, though: Finau is playing with a refreshing conviction – he said on Sunday that the win creates a “contagious” confidence – in himself and his game. that. His ceiling is high because his gifts are off the charts. He’s figured out how that can translate to victory in 2022. Given that year and the history under him, what will he find out in 2023 and beyond?
