{"id":24578,"date":"2022-07-25T00:06:55","date_gmt":"2022-07-25T00:06:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/tony-finau-caps-record-rally-for-3m-open-title-3rd-of-pga-tour-career\/"},"modified":"2022-07-25T00:06:55","modified_gmt":"2022-07-25T00:06:55","slug":"tony-finau-caps-record-rally-for-3m-open-title-3rd-of-pga-tour-career","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/tony-finau-caps-record-rally-for-3m-open-title-3rd-of-pga-tour-career\/","title":{"rendered":"Tony Finau caps record rally for 3M Open title, 3rd of PGA Tour career"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Estimated read time: 4-5 minutes<\/p>\n

ON TOUR \u2014 As Tony Finau approached the tee on the 18th hole at TPC Twin Cities in Blaine, Minnesota, he did so with an extra soundtrack: the crowd standing around the box chanting: “To-Ny! To-Ny! To-Ny !”<\/p>\n

After acknowledging the crowd, Finau gave his ball a light kiss \u2014 and promptly plunked it into the nearby water hazard.<\/p>\n

It might have been his only misplayed stroke Sunday. Moments later, he rolled in a short bogey putt to clinch the 3M Open title \u2014 perhaps the sweetest bogey of his career.<\/p>\n

Wearing his final-round green in honor of his late mother Vena who tragically died in a car accident in 2011, Finau shot 4-under-par 67 in the final round of the Open at TPC Twin Cities, earning his third win on the PGA Tour and second in less than 365 days. With his family and children waiting for him on the side of the 18th green, his smile said it all.<\/p>\n

Maybe this win wasn’t as long coming as his previous two. But the comeback that provided it was just as thrilling \u2014 if not more. This one, after all, was for Mom.<\/p>\n

“I love my family; I love my mom. I miss her,” the father of five told CBS, fighting back tears with his children flanking him on either side. “It’s so special to have my family here with me to celebrate this win. They mean everything to me.<\/p>\n

“My wife has been a huge support to me. There have been a lot of people who have gotten me to this point, and I’d be selfish not to thank so many people. But my parents and my wife have supported me since day one \u2014 and this one’s for them.”<\/p>\n

Finau overturned a five-shot deficit in the final round on Scott Piercy, who led from the opening day. The 32-year-old Rose Park native who currently splits time between Lehi and Scottsdale, Arizona took a one-shot lead with a nine iron from 164 yards out on the par-4, 412-yard 14th hole \u2014 then did it one better by dropping a 32-foot birdie putt on the 15th hole as part of a run of three-straight birdies to push his lead as high as four shots with three holes remaining.<\/p>\n

His five-stroke comeback to win set a 3M Open record and was the largest comeback victory on the PGA Tour since Justin Thomas overcame a seven-shot deficit in the 2022 PGA Championship.<\/p>\n

In all, Finau carded two birdies of eight feet, a 15-footer and the 32-footer to shoot 33 on the back nine after firing 1-under 34 on the front.<\/p>\n

“Really, (it took) everything I had,” Finau said. “I was playing great, and every time I looked up, it felt like I was four or five shots back. I really got it going on the back nine.<\/p>\n

“I called bank on 17, and it worked out.”<\/p>\n

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\"Tony<\/picture><\/div>
Tony Finau poses for photos with the trophy after his win in the 3M Open golf tournament at the Tournament Players Club in Blaine, Minn., Sunday, July 24, 2022. (Photo: Abbie Parr, Associated Press)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

In a 90-minute span, the West High graduate went from four strokes down to four strokes the leader thanks to a series of ice-cold daggers on the putting green and a lot of movement around him. Finau’s surge was the main story of the final round \u2014 but Piercy’s plunge can’t be ignored, either.<\/p>\n

After struggling to an even-par 35 on the front, Piercy shot 5-over 41 on the back, anchored by a double bogey on the 14th hole, to finish tied for fourth with Tom Hoge and James Hahn. Sungjae Im carded 68 and Emiliano Grillo even-par 71 to finish tied for second.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, everything was going Finau’s way. Just a day after saving par with the head of his putter<\/a> in one of the wilder shots of the tournament, Finau dropped his tee shot on the edge of the fringe of the 17th hole island green \u2014 just inside the line to save a penalty \u2014 and chipped to within a foot for another ridiculous par save.<\/p>\n

The long-driving first golfer of Tongan and Samoan descent on the PGA Tour survived a lengthy weather delay Saturday to set up Sunday’s round. In addition to the par save with the head of his putter, how else did Finau spend his longer-than-usual time on the course this weekend in the Twin Cities area?<\/p>\n

By catching a few bluegill out of the water hazard on the 10th hole.<\/p>\n

“I did a little fishing with my kids,” said Finau after Saturday’s round, well before pocketing $1.35 million in prize money for the win. “I’m just staying right here off No. 10, so did a little fishing, took a nap, eat. There was a lot going on in those I think it was about six hours of downtime.<\/p>\n

“I feel like I played two different rounds, but I was happy just to still give my self an outside chance for tomorrow.”<\/p>\n

A chance, or a prayer, maybe even a miracle. Tony Finau, where he be now?<\/p>\n

Lifting the trophy at the 3M Open, his first win on tour since the Northern Trust last August and just his third in 212 starts of his PGA Tour career, dating back to 2007.<\/p>\n

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Photos<\/h3>\n

Most recent Golf stories<\/h3>\n
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A proud graduate of Syracuse University, Sean Walker has covered BYU for KSL.com since 2015, while also mixing in prep sports, education, and anything else his editors assign him to do.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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