Tony Finau’s career has been on a downward trajectory in recent years, and he admitted having the worst season of his PGA Tour career.
In 2019, Tony Finau was fighting for a Green Jacket with Tiger Woods at Augusta National, and Woods said Finau would win a major at some point in his career. He’s won six times on the PGA Tour and represented Team USA at the Ryder Cup.
But since then, Finau has tumbled down the golf rankings. He is 89th in the Official World Golf Ranking, just behind Chun-an Yu. He didn’t sniff a major in 2025, missed five cuts on the PGA Tour, and had only one top-10 finish all season.
Jason Day, who was compared to Tiger Woods in 2016 for his dominance as world number one, knows a thing or two about trying to rediscover form. He’s had a series of ebbs and flows during his career, and had some key advice for Finau when he opened up about his form.
Jason Day’s advice to Tony Finau after ‘worst season’ of PGA Tour career
Finau, who is playing against Day at the Grant Thornton Invitational, appeared on his YouTube channel The Lads. There, he spoke vulnerably about his 2025 season.
The 36-year-old said, “It was my worst season of my PGA Tour career, but you can always learn. That’s the great thing. It’s like it doesn’t matter. I know I didn’t play my best, but it’s like, okay, what do I got to do to be better, to play better?
“I obviously was dealing with a knee, as I had knee surgery this time last year. And then, you know, I had ankle issues, but even outside of that, it’s like, ‘What are what are some areas you can get better?’
“So, it was not the season I anticipated, but it also helps you reflect and just say, ‘Okay, when I was playing better, how can I adapt to that, but even be a better version of that?’ You know what I mean?
Who do you expect to have a bounce back season in 2026?
Players who could bounce back from poor form in 2026: Jordan Spieth, Collin Morikawa, Tony Finau, Brooks Koepka, Dustin Johnson, Cam Smith and Justin Thomas
“Because I don’t believe in such a thing as, ‘I wish I can hit it like how I used to or I wish I had the speed that I used to.’ It’s like you got to reinvent yourself as you age. You can’t just keep thinking that it’s like I want to go back to something. No, I can be better than that.”
Day, who Finau praised for growing the game with his YouTube channel, came back with some wisdom. He said that these ups and downs are common for every player, apart from the very best who have ever played the sport.
The Australian said, “It’s so hard to have [a straight] trajectory, you know what I mean? There has to be a little bit of [ups and downs], but as long as, over time, it’ll just slowly go [up], you know what I mean? It’s hard to be like a Scottie or a Rory, where you just rocket.
“That’s a small percentage, and everyone’s different. We got to learn our own things and learn how to do things separately. I know that you said it’s been your worst year, but it’s been more of a learning year, and I think you’re getting smarter from it, and it will only help you in the future, which is great.”
Despite his poor season, Finau has maintained his positive outlook. Hopefully, this attitude will help him reclaim some form in 2026.
Tony Finau’s two key weaknesses in 2025
The good news for Finau is that there are two clear areas of his game that he needs to work on going into the 2026 season. In 2025, he lost strokes to the field off the tee and on the greens.
Finau’s play off the tee has been a strength of his during his career. At his best, he was gaining 0.91 strokes on the field. But in 2025, Finau lost 0.05 strokes in that department in 2025, so pulling the driver out on the range and learning how to hit more fairways is a must.
Which four players do you choose?
But while he has experience playing well off the tee, Finau’s putting woes have plagued him for much of his career. 2025 was his third season in a row losing strokes on the greens, and it’s the sixth time it’s happened in his career.
That’s a more worrying sign for Finau, who you would imagine has been putting in the work in that area for years. He’ll hope 2026 is the season that it clicks.
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