After learning he was the betting choice for the 3M Open, Tony Finau unexpectedly felt the pressure increase as he tried to maintain the momentum he had established this summer.
His third PGA Tour triumph came as a result of playing catch-up, which worked well.
With 11 holes remaining, Tony Finau erased a five-stroke deficit to win the 3M Open by three strokes. Scott Piercy lost the lead down the stretch at the windy TPC Twin Cities.
Second place was shared by Sungjae Im (68) and Emiliano Grillo (71). Piercy shot a wince-inducing 76 after his tournament-record 54-hole performance to tie for fourth place, four strokes back.
Prior to a triple-bogey meltdown on hole No. 14, Piercy bogeyed four out of six holes, giving Finau, who was playing in the preceding trio, the opportunity to take the lead permanently.
The 32-year-old Tony Finau achieved the largest winning rally in this competition’s four editions and was graciously congratulated by Piercy outside the scoring tent.
His wife and five children naturally provided the most support. They accompanied him from the tee to the green while staying with him in a rental home close to the course. Tony Finau found it helpful to divert his attention from his swing when it wasn’t necessary with fishing trips and family dinners.
In the FedEx Cup standings, Finau—who tied for third at the 3M Open in 2020—rose from 30th to 17th place. He was ranked 17th in the world as the week started.
Tony Finau strengthened his hold on the lead with a 31-foot putt for birdie on the 15th green as he confidently strode the course in his slim 6-foot-4 frame, white cap, and aqua-striped polo.
The clearest indication that this was Finau’s day was number 17. A few feet from the ocean, his tee shot clanged off the side of the grandstand, bounced back onto the green, and rolled into the rough.
He made the par 3 by landing the ideal chip within a foot of the hole. He then smiled slightly and playfully clamped his hand on his chest as if the sequence had given him heart palpitations.
Finau encountered one last difficulty on the tough par-5 18th, finding the water off the tee. But Finau sank a 3-footer for bogey to put the game away while Piercy watched from the fairway. He exclaimed loudly, removed his cap, and then moved to embrace his family.
