How Tony Finau can win PGA Tour Championship

It would take a huge effort for someone to come from off the pace and win this week’s Tour Championship. Tony Finau may be the guy to do it.

The clear advantage this week at the Tour Championship is for players who have earned their way to the top of the FedEx Cup standings. Those further back in the field will have to produce something really special to win this week and one player who can certainly get that done is Tony Finau.

While Dustin Johnson, Jon Rahm and Justin Thomas will be the leaders when action tees off this week at East Lake in Atlanta, Finau will find himself further back in the pack. In fact, he will open the event a full eight shots behind Johnson. DJ will start at 10-under par, while Finau will be at 2-under as action begins on Friday.

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However, this does not mean, by any means, that Finau is out of contention. Among the players who find themselves several shots behind as the Tour Championship gets underway, Finau is one who could conceivably find his way up the leaderboard without too much trouble.

Why, you ask? Because Finau has shown that he can go low. Very low.

Three times already this season, the Utah native has shot 62. The first time came in round three of the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open in October. After the calendar turned to 2020, Finau was at it again, shooting a 62 in round two of the American Express in January. Then, just two weeks later, Finau shot 62 again, in the third round of the Waste Management Phoenix Open.

It’s obviously clear that Finau can go extremely low.

That would be one component to coming from eight shots behind. Another element of a comeback would be to come into the event hot. Finau checks that box as well.

Last week the BMW Championship, Finau was so close to getting over the top on each of the first three days. He shot a 70 on the first day and a 71 on Friday. On Saturday, he struggled a bit, shooting a 73.

However, on Sunday, he came back with a vengeance. Finau had the round of the day (at least until Jon Rahm came along) when he shot a 5-under par 65 at Olympia Fields. That impressive showing will allow Finau to carry momentum into East Lake this week.

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Finally, a player would need to have some success at the course to be able to make a comeback like the one Finau faces. Luckily for him, Finau has played well at East Lake in the past. Last year, he finished seventh in the Tour Championship. He tied for 15th in 2018 and tied for seventh in 2017.

Finau checks all of the boxes of someone who could make an epic comeback at the Tour Championship. It will be interesting to see if he can make that jump this week in Atlanta.

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