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Shriners Hospitals for Children Open: Top 10 power rankings

By Mike Randleman

LAS VEGAS, NV - NOVEMBER 04: The champion's trophy of the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open at TPC Summerlin on November 4, 2018 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)
LAS VEGAS, NV - NOVEMBER 04: The champion's trophy of the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open at TPC Summerlin on November 4, 2018 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images) /
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LAS VEGAS, NV – NOVEMBER 04: Tony Finau hits his approach shot on the second hole during the third round of the Shriners Hospitals For Children Open at the TPC Summerlin on November 4, 2017 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Robert Laberge/Getty Images)
LAS VEGAS, NV – NOVEMBER 04: Tony Finau hits his approach shot on the second hole during the third round of the Shriners Hospitals For Children Open at the TPC Summerlin on November 4, 2017 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Robert Laberge/Getty Images) /

Tony Finau is a busy man this fall despite this being his 2019-2020 PGA Tour debut. The big-hitting Utah native teed it up the last two weeks on the European Tour at the BMW PGA Championship and the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship. He finished T-51 and T-10, respectively.

Those likely weren’t the results he was looking for, but he showed improvement and can’t be too disappointed seeing some of the world’s more historic venues in Wentworth, St. Andrew’s, Carnoustie and Kingsbarns.

Now, the 30-year-old is hurrying back to play once more before some deserved time off. It’s uncommon for a player to pond hop and play in consecutive weeks during the slow season, but the Shriners Hospitals for  Children Open just sets up too well for him.

Finau has played here each of the past five years and has never finished worse than T41 in 2016. He finished T-36 last year (69-68-69-68) and peaked with a T-7 in 2014 (68-65-70-67) as a rookie, which is one of three top-16s at TPC Summerlin.

He ranked 35th on Tour in total strokes gained (.768) and was 23rd in SG off the tee (.439). Finau is the bombing type with 309.5 yards off the tee (9th) and just 56.94% accuracy (167th). He’s used to playing desert/mountain golf, which favors his style.

Until he breaks through for his second win of his career, Finau will remain as one of the more hungrier players on Tour. He’s a top-10 machine with six in 2019 and 12 in 2018, including five runner-up finishes in that span.

He’s clearly one of the world’s top players and is also fighting to make the American Presidents Cup team as a captain’s pick after missing out by one spot for automatic qualifying. Winning this week where captain Tiger Woods won his first event in 1996 would go a long way.

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