When he suggested during the CBS telecast that “all of Utah” was cheering for Tony Finau to win The Northern Trust, former Salt Lake City sportscaster Jim Nantz may have been exaggerating.
Not too much, though.
The extra-holes victory for Finau over Cameron Smith in the first of three events in the PGA Tour’s FedEx Cup Playoffs represented a major breakthrough for fans who have followed his golf career since his teenage years in the Rose Park neighborhood.
“It was huge for me. It was huge for my family. It was huge for all of my supporters back home in Utah,” Finau said afterward. “I have so many people that reach out to me and tell me they’re fans. I really feel it. Utah is a great place. That is always home to me. To be able to share this with so many people is what’s so cool about this.”
A clutch par save on No. 18 in regulation Monday evening at Liberty National in New Jersey was a sign of Finau’s overcoming the putting problems that primarily have kept him from winning a tournament since the 2016 Puerto Rico Open, and he followed through with a winning par on the first playoff hole.
Finau, a West High School graduate and part-time Lehi resident, earned $1.7 million, and now he’s well positioned to chase the $15 million bonus that goes to the Playoffs winner. The golfer who was thrilled to collect $3,000 for winning the Provo Open only eight years ago will play in the BMW Championship beginning Thursday in Maryland, followed by the Tour Championship in Atlanta.
His supporters in Utah were certainly thrilled Monday.
“So freaking happy for this man,” tweeted Jazz owner Ryan Smith, whose Qualtrics company is a longtime sponsor of Finau.
Finau is a lock to be a captain’s pick for his second Ryder Cup appearance, representing the United States against Europe in Wisconsin in September. But what is immediately ahead for Finau actually might be less significant to Monday’s story than what’s behind him: eight runner-up finishes, including three playoff losses, in the five-plus years since his first PGA Tour win.
“I thought my first [win] was going to be my most important one, but I actually think [it’s] this one,” said Finau, who will turn 32 in September. “It validates the first one because of how long I’ve had to wait.”
Finau’s win had the attention of Utah football coach Kyle Whittingham after practice Monday.
“Go Utes, go Tony Finau,” Whittingham said before answering reporters’ questions at practice Monday. “He’s at our games all the time. He’s a Ute. He’s an honorary Ute.”
In turn, the Tony Finau Foundation has provided funding to Patrick Fishburn, a Korn Ferry Tour player from Fremont High School and BYU. Fishburn is among many observers suggesting this could be the start of big things for Finau.
“He’s such a great guy that does so much good for other people, it’s exciting to see one go his way,” Fishburn said in a text message. “The floodgates have been opened. I’m sure he feels a huge weight off his shoulders, which could be scary for the rest of the golfing world. He has the ability to rattle off a bunch of wins and become the No. 1 player in the world.”
Davis High School graduate Boyd Summerhays, Finau’s longtime coach, was on site in New Jersey and counseled him prior to the playoff, although fans were not allowed to attend the final round due to the fallout of the hurricane.
What’s more, Hurricane Henri made him wait another day to finish the tournament and a three-group backup on No. 18 made him wait to hit his drive in regulation. His nice bunker shot and 6-foot par putt enabled him to stay tied with Smith at 20 under par, with his closing 65 as the field’s low round of the day. The playoff hole (No. 18) then became a victory lap.
Finau found the fairway off the tee, before Smith hit his drive out of bounds to the right, essentially ending the duel.
“I’ve persevered, and the biggest key is I haven’t given up on myself and my team,” Finau said. “… It’s been a long time coming, but I also feel like you have to earn everything out here.”
Finau’s rally to overtake Jon Rahm, the No. 1-ranked golfer, further distinguishes his victory. Rahm reached 18 under through nine holes Monday, leading by three strokes. “I chased down the best player in the world,” said Finau, who played Nos. 12-16 in 5 under with an eagle and three birdies.
“It took just about everything I had,” Finau said.
Coming as it did in the Playoffs, Finau’s win clearly is the biggest ever for a homegrown Utahn in a professional golf tournament. Overall, it rivals the 1926 U.S. Amateur victory for another West alumnus, George Von Elm, who beat the legendary Bobby Jones in the final match.
Jay Don Blake was the most recent Utah native to win a full-value PGA Tour event, the San Diego stop in 1991.
