Contact UsDMCA policyAbout UsPrivacy PolicyTerms of UseDisclaimerCookie Policy
Trending
How to Detect Malware in Your BrowserExploring the Benefits of Popular Dietary Supplements: What Science SaysUnderstanding Z-Library: Bottom line on Legality and SafetyThe healthcare sector is complex and ever-evolvingEstablishing a Comprehensive Patient Safety ProgramTips for Overcoming Substance Use DisorderHow To Recognize Signs of Mental IllnessLeveraging Fashion Trends While Maintaining IndividualityTips for Utilizing Knowledge Management ToolsTeam Collaboration: Using an Action Plan Template for Group Projects
Home › Sports

At the British Open, Tony Finau Shuts Out a Sense of Frustration

Bhupender SainiJul 16, 2021Sports
At the British Open, Tony Finau Shuts Out a Sense of Frustration

Tony Finau shot a four-under-par 66 on Friday at the British Open and found himself in familiar territory. He was once again a contender for a major golf championship and knew that people would be wondering if it would end with another near-miss result.

The sport’s biggest prizes are the four major titles, and Finau, in the past three years, has come close to winning each one: He took third place at the 2019 British Open, tied for fourth at last year’s P.G.A. Championship, tied for fifth while playing with Tiger Woods when he won the 2019 Masters and finished fifth at the 2018 U.S. Open.

Altogether Finau, 31, has finished in the top 10 at a major 10 times. The lack of a victory, however, has not dimmed Finau’s disposition in the least.

One of the few golfers of color on the PGA Tour — Finau, who was raised in Utah, is of Tongan and Samoan descent — he is a popular presence at tournaments with fans, and in the players’ locker room.

Tall and athletic with an easy smile, Finau boomed prodigious drives that wowed crowds for years before Bryson DeChambeau set a new, implausible standard for driving distance.

Finau’s golf prowess is more than power, however, as he exhibited with deft pitches and imaginative iron play on Friday, which led to six birdies and a two-round score of four under par that vaulted him up the leaderboard. He was tied for 17th place, seven strokes behind the leader, Louis Oosthuizen.

While weather conditions will be fickle at coastal Royal St. George’s in southern England, Finau has the experience, and seemingly the game, to stay in the hunt. He tied for ninth at the 2018 British Open and tied for 18th at the event five years ago.

“I love links golf,” Finau, the world’s 17th-ranked men’s golfer, said after Friday’s round. “I wish I got to play it more often. It takes so much creativity.”

But Finau is abundantly aware that fans and the golf media will judge him by the times he has not claimed the top spot at a major tournament. He has one PGA Tour victory, the Puerto Rico Open in 2016.