At the beginning of the year, Tony Finau looked like a trendy Masters pick. While that could very much still happen, he hasn’t quite lived up to the lofty bar he set for himself in 2018.
Last year, Finau posted four runner-up finishes and 12 total top-10s in 28 starts en route to representing the USA in the Ryder Cup. The 29-year-old has teed it up seven times in 2019 and has yet to crack the top 10.
Finau’s not far off with a T15 at Riviera, a T25 at the WGC-Mexico and T22 against the Players highlighting a resume with one missed cut. He’s also yet to be a factor on Sunday.
This week could be where he cures his ales and wins his long awaited second PGA Tour event. Finau showed well in his last Texas Open appearance in 2017 when he finished T3 (71-65-74-69).
He finished T68 as a rookie in 2015.
Finau went 1-2 at the WGC Match Play last week and did not play the Valspar, so he should be fresh going into the week.
He ranks 13th on Tour in strokes gained off the tee and 48th in SG putting. If the winds flare up and he has trouble hitting greens, his short game isn’t what he wants to lean on.
I think he’ll get himself enough chances to at least contend and get back to work on being the top-10 machine he once was.