A week after his success in the 3M Open, Tony Finau won the Rocket Mortgage Classic this Sunday. He is the first PGA TOUR player to win back-to-back regular season tournaments in 3 years.
Tony Finau was once again excellent this Sunday at Detroit Golf Club. Certainly he conceded his first and only bogey of the tournament at 11, but the American investigated six birdies to return a very solid 67 (-5), enough to finish the event with a sensational score of -26. Establishing in passing the new record of the event.
How does @TonyFinauGolf follow up his first bogey of the week …
With a birdie and a fist pump ????
His lead is back to 4 shots @RocketClassic. pic.twitter.com/2J4dnPJmXt
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) July 31, 2022
If he had to wait 1975 days between his first and second victory, to the point of making observers doubt his ability to conclude, he only had to wait seven days between his third and fourth success.
We have to go back to 2019 to see traces of a back-to-back in the regular season and the two consecutive successes of Brendon Todd.
A fortnight of madness
On cloud nine for 15 days, Tony Finau closed his tournament with a moving interview in which he explains that what fills him with happiness is to have been able to “show his children (5) that they can see him lose but also win. That’s what makes you a champion.”
In his last 8 tricks Finau did no worse than a 68 card (67, 68, 65, 67, 64, 66, 65, 66). In 144 holes played he totaled 47 birdies (i.e. almost 1 birdie every 3 holes), conceded 4 bogeys, touched 89 of the 112 fairways and took 126 greens out of 144 in regulation! Simply mind-boggling.
Round 1: ????
Round 2: ????
Round 3: ????
Round 4: ????@TonyFinauGolf has birdied the 10th hole in each round @RocketClassic.He now leads by 3. pic.twitter.com/N8xzCysTWl
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) July 31, 2022
Good news for his opponents, the new world No. 13 has decided not to appear at the start of the next tournament in North Carolina.
This will perhaps allow the Canadian Taylor Pendrithin full swing since his return from injury (4 months off due to a cracked rating), to register a first victory on the PGA Tour on his record.
That’s all for me. Every day since I’ve been playing golf, all I think about is joining the PGA Tour. I’m moved tonight, it’s a dream, an outcome.
Joohyung Kim
Taylor Pendrith out of the way
Co-leader before the last lap, Pendrith was unable to keep up with Finau’s frantic pace. In the lead at mid-tournament and joined by the American on the eve of the last round, the rookie from Ontario suffered with just 8 fairways hit.
His card in the par however allows him to keep 2nd place. This is his best career result and his 3rd top 15 in 3 tournaments since his return to competition.
Patrick Cantlay ends well
The Canadian shares the 2nd step of the podium with two other players: the impressive Cameron Young who records his 7th podium of the season (best total with Scottie Scheffler) and who will also have to wait before lifting a trophy, and Patrick Cantlay.
The 2021 FedEx Cup winner started his day with a bang with five birdies in 8 holes but was held back by two bogeys. An eagle at 14 and a birdie at 17 allow him to sign a second consecutive card of 66 and sign his 3rd second place of the season. Cantlay climbs to 5th place in the FedEx ranking two weeks before the start of the Playoffs.
The charge is on.@Patrick_Cantlay jumps into solo 2nd with an eagle on No. 14.
He’s 3 back. pic.twitter.com/mMsE24HvQo
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) July 31, 2022
Stephan Jaeger saves himself, Joohyung Kim impresses
They are followed at once by Stephan Jaeger. The German signs his best career performance with this first top 5. A result that ensures him to finish in the top 125 overall and thus save his card for next season.
Another player guaranteed to play at the highest level next year is 20-year-old South Korean Joohyung Kim. On Sunday, the native of Seoul, invited by the organizers since he is not a member of the PGA Tour, equaled the course record (63) of the Detroit Golf Club to finish in the top 10.
3rd in the Genesis Scottish Open, he has already scored enough points in 8 tournaments to end the season with a total higher than 125th in the FedEx ranking.
“That’s all for me. Every day since I’ve been playing golf all I think about is joining the PGA Tour. I’m moved tonight, it’s a dream, an achievement.” said Joohyung Kim after his splendid 4th round.
Barjon dos au mur
Conversely and after his missed cut, Paul Barjon is more than ever in great difficulty. 157th in the FedEx Cup on the eve of the last tournament of the regular season, after the withdrawal of the LIV “rebels” classification, the Frenchman is condemned to the feat to preserve full playing rights in 2023.
The video summary of the 4th round
Le leaderboard
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