Tony Finau had arguably become something of a forgotten man amongst the biggest names on the PGA Tour, with the 35-year-old making something of an unspectacular start to the season.
Tony Finau went into the Genesis Invitational off the back of top 20 finishes at both The Sentry and the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, while he missed the cut at both The American Express and the Farmers Insurance Open.
Of course, the Farmers Insurance Open was also played at Torrey Pines, so it is quite the turnaround from Finau to find himself tied for fourth with one round to play of the Genesis Invitational.
Finau posted the low round of the day on Saturday in California, shooting a five under par 67. That included three birdies in a row on the front nine.
Tony Finau enjoys career first on Saturday at the Genesis Invitational
And a key reason for Finau flying up the leaderboard was the quality of his play around the green. He gained more than four shots in that area on Saturday alone, with Finau chipping in three times.
And following his round, he confirmed that it was an unprecedented amount of success for him in his career.
“I think that’s the most chip-ins I’ve had in one round really in my life, for sure in my career. Maybe as a kid I may have chipped in a few times. But that’s always a bonus. Chip shots, most of the time you’re aiming for the hole so it’s nice when they go in,” he said.
Finau on course for another impressive finish at Torrey Pines
Despite missing the cut earlier this year, Finau has a very impressive record at the Farmers Insurance Open, with six top 10s in 11 appearances in the event. His best result was a second place finish in 2021.
He looks set to secure another top 10 at the venue this week – though he is only four shots clear of those who find themselves tied for 20th. It is not entirely surprising therefore, that Torrey Pines appears to have the potential to be the course which really launches his season.
And it seems that Finau is relishing the chance to almost put things right after his previous visit to the course this year.
“Yeah, you know, I find myself in a familiar situation I feel like on this golf course where I’ve been in contention, but every year’s different. This year feels a lot different than it has in the past just in kind of finding my way with my game early in the season and it’s nice to have just a second crack at it,” he added.
“I didn’t play my best golf the first time around during the Farmers Insurance, but now that we’re here for the Genesis, playing a little bit better and a little bit sharper with my game and we’ll see what that brings tomorrow.”
Finau is one of those players who should probably have more than six wins on the PGA Tour under his belt. And it will be a little concerning that he is coming up to two years since his most recent victory.
He is someone US captains can seemingly pair with almost anyone at the Presidents Cup and the Ryder Cup. And he is currently inside the top 30 in the world rankings.
With Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy going backwards on Saturday, he appears to have a fantastic chance of ending the current wait for a win this weekend.
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