Tony Finau withdraws from Hero World Challenge, sparks LIV rumors

The Hero World Challenge is set to take place this week from the Bahamas, but it will now do so without Tony Finau.

Finau withdrew from the event, hosted by Tiger Woods, on Monday, with Sepp Straka stepping in as his replacement. The 35-year-old's decision to back out came without any sort of explanation, adding coals to the fire regarding his potential departure from the PGA in favor of LIV Golf.

The six-time PGA Tour winner has often had his name come up in LIV talks, especially due to his friendship with Legion XIII captain Jon Rahm. The former Masters Champion has an open roster spot due to the relegation of teammate Kieran Vincent, which sounds like a perfect match for Finau.

Tony Finau could be a strong signing for LIV

This past season, Finau placed inside the top-ten on five occasions and placed in a tie for 23rd in the FedEx Cup. Currently, he is 26th in the OWGR. Finau has 11 runner-up finishes, four third-place finishes, 34 top-fives, and 64 top-tens in his career, with total earnings exceeding $43 million.

Finau would be a great hand for Legion XIII, who finished second in the regular season team standings last year before placing fourth at the LIV Team Championship. Along with Rahm, Finau would be joined by Tyrrell Hatton and Caleb Surratt.

There are also other options if Finau does make the switch. That includes open roster spots with the Cleeks, Iron Heads, Stingers, and others. Additional openings could materialize if a captain chooses to let go of a player in the "Open Zone." Players in this section of the standings are not guaranteed a roster spot but are permitted to be brought back. With expansion also being a hot topic, Finau could find himself as the captain of an expansion team.

Notable names participating in the Hero World Challenge include Scottie Scheffler, Wyndham Clark, Justin Thomas, Ludvig Åberg, and Patrick Cantlay.