Tony Finau takes three-shot lead into weekend at WGC-HSBC Champions

Tony Finau enjoyed a career year on the PGA TOUR in 2018, and he’s looking to carry that momentum into the new season. He carries a strong three-shot lead into the weekend at the WGC-HSBC Champions.

Tony Finau isn’t slowing down any time soon. One of the PGA TOUR’s hottest rising stars, Finau enjoyed a career-best year in 2017-18. He made a remarkable 25 of 28 cuts, finishing inside the top-25 in 19 of those starts. He earned over $5.5 million in winnings, finished sixth in the FedEx Cup race, and scored two points for Team USA in his first Ryder Cup.

The only thing missing from his resume was a victory. Finau finished runner-up three times last season, but he’s looking to check that final box this week at the WGC-HSBC Champions.

Finau took a strong three-shot lead at Sheshan Golf Club in Shanghai with a second-round 67 on Friday. While the round was completed as most of America slept, the only regret the 29-year-old might have is that it could have been even better.

After an opening round of six-under 66 on Thursday, Finau found himself two shots behind Patrick Reed. As Reed struggled to maintain his white-hot scoring, Finau got to four-under for the day by the turn.

A fifth birdie on the par-4 10th got him to 11-under for the championship, but on the par-4 11th, Finau hit a sprinkler head on his approach shot, and his ball rolled into a hazard. He made double bogey on that hole, followed by a bogey on No. 13. What looked to be a commanding lead was suddenly much more vulnerable.

However, Finau quickly righted his course. Three birdies in his final five holes got him back to five-under for the day, three clear of Reed, Justin Rose and Tommy Fleetwood.

More from Pro Golf Now

"“Outside of that tough break, I played really nicely,” Finau said. “I was happy just to make a few birdies coming down the stretch. It’s hard to swallow when you feel like you hit a good shot and you have a bad break like that. So I was able to just hang in there and make a few birdies at the end, which is nice.”"

On a small scale, Friday’s showing proves what many of us already believed about Finau. His power and touch are outstanding qualities in his game, but he’s about as resilient as they come.

It would have been easy for some players to lose their stride when faced with a couple of tough breaks as Finau was on Friday. Instead, he used it as fuel to close his round strong.

That’s the type of stuff that wins major championships – and Finau finished inside the top-ten in three of 2018’s four majors, including the Masters just days after he dislocated his ankle. It’s what brought Brooks Koepka, Jordan Spieth, Justin Thomas and so many others to the top of the golf world.

Next. Paul Azinger joins NBC Sports, keeps U.S. Open gig on Fox. dark

Finau has all the potential in the world, and he’s only starting to scratch the surface. If he can hold off some of the world’s best in a World Golf Championship, it would be the next step towards realizing that potential. Don’t be surprised if Finau is still standing tall on Sunday.

Home/PGA