Latest news with #TonyFinau
Forbes
5 hours ago
- Sport
- Forbes
Gotterup Surging, Finau Searching As FedExCup Stakes Rise At 3M Open
USA's Chris Gotterup on the 17th fairway during day four of The 153rd Open Championship at Royal ... More Portrush in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. Picture date: Sunday July 20, 2025. (Photo by Mike Egerton/PA Images via Getty Images) The pro golf world may still be basking in the afterglow of Scottie Scheffler's bravura fourth major victory, but while fans pause to reflect on whether the current world No. 1 may be echoing Tiger in his prime, the tour has pressed onto Minnesota for the 3M Open. With only two events to go in the regular season, the stakes are elevated at TPC Twin Cities as players battle to improve their position in the FedExCup standings. For those hovering around the bubble, the margins are as thin as Scotch Tape and there's way more on the line than simply a share of the 3M Open's $8.4 million purse. The top 70 after next week's Wyndham Championship advance to the FedExCup Playoffs. Golfers who finish in the top 50 in the standings after the FedEx St. Jude move on to the BMW Championship and from there only the top 30 will be left standing and go on to East Lake in Atlanta for the Tour Championship. Beyond the immediate postseason horizon, to secure spots in next year's lucrative signature events, players must stick inside the top 50 when the season is in the bag. Otherwise, they'll need to punch their ticket via the Aon Next 10, Aon Swing 5, or else hold onto the hope of a sponsor's exemption. PORTRUSH, NORTHERN IRELAND - JULY 20: Tony Finau of the United States acknowledges the crowd on the ... More 18th green during day four of The 153rd Open Championship at Royal Portrush Golf Club on July 20, 2025 in Portrush, Northern Ireland. (Photo by) Tony Finau is tied with Xander Schauffele for the longest active streak of Tour Championship appearances with eight straight East Lake appearances. But the Utah native isn't quite on solid footing to extend his run to nine. The six-time PGA winner, who topped the leaderboard here in 2022, finds himself perched at 59th in the standings, inside the top 70 but still shy of that all-important top 50 cutoff, so he's got work to do. 'It's definitely in the back of my mind because I know how important that top-50 number has become on the PGA Tour,' Finau said in his pre-tournament press conference. 'I'm trying to put myself in a situation to have a chance to win on Sunday this week and if I'm able to do that, then I know the points and everything will take care of themselves,' he added. Gotterup Rising You don't have to scroll too far back on the calendar to the days when Chris Gotterup wasn't on most golf fans' radar. Sure, he'd won the inaugural Myrtle Beach Classic last year—an opposite-field event—but his sophomore season on the PGA Tour had been more steady than spectacular. He notched nine top-25 finishes, offset by just as many missed cuts. But then cue up Born To Run. Gotterup vaulted 55 spots in the FedExCup standings in the space of a fortnight, outdueling Rory McIlroy to win the Scottish Open and showing he had staying power by coming in third in the Open Championship. No one would begrudge the New Jerseyan if he took a week off after his cross-the-pond breakout, but Gotterup wants to keep the pedal to the metal. 'I'm trying to ride the hot hand obviously right now, so that's goal No. 1.,' Gotterup said. '3M gave me a spot a couple years ago when I came out of school and I felt like I kind of owe a little something back to them. I was planning on playing but that definitely helped,' he added. Now firmly inside the top 30 in the FedExCup standings, Gotterup is navigating uncharted territory—and embracing the moment. 'I feel like I'm playing with house money at the moment, especially with what's happened. I'm excited for the rest of the season.'
Reuters
15 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Reuters
Acting veteran Tony Finau looking for better performances on the course
July 24 - When Tony Finau was asked to play himself in the upcoming film "Happy Gilmore 2," the PGA veteran didn't have to think long about saying yes. "I had never been a part of anything like that," Finau said. "My short cameo in 'Happy Gilmore 2' was fun to be a part of, fun to shoot with Adam Sandler. To be asked to even do it was really an honor, being a huge 'Happy Gilmore' fan growing up." But despite the thrill of getting to take part in something new by starring in a Hollywood movie set to debut this weekend, Finau admitted to reporters Wednesday in advance of the 3M Open - also occurring this weekend -- that he is looking for something more familiar: a good feeling about his play on the golf course. "I just know this one hasn't felt like a successful season to me. I haven't played my best golf," Finau said. "I feel like when I've played golf, when I've played well, I haven't been able to finish off tournaments. So, I just don't feel like I've gotten a lot out of my game this year. "I think obviously wins are the easiest way to look back and say, 'all right, this was a successful season,' but I've had a lot of seasons that I finished and I thought even though I didn't win, it was a very successful season. I guess I'm more of a feel guy, at the end of the year I kind of just know if I had a season that was worth remembering or forgetting." The numbers back those feelings up. Finau, who is tied with Xander Schauffele as the active leaders with the most consecutive TOUR Championship berths (eight and counting), is finding that streak to be in jeopardy this season. He is currently just 59th in the FedExCup standings, with no wins under his belt for the second straight year after a run of four championships over the previous two-year period. Finau knows some good golf in the short term can net him a Top 50 finish to lock him in for next year's signature events and inch him closer to a potential trip to East Lake for the TOUR Championship late next month. "It's definitely in the back of my mind because I know how important that top-50 number is, has become on the PGA TOUR. So it's definitely something in the back of my mind, but that's really where it is, it's back. At the forefront of my mind this week is playing good golf and that's in my experience, you know, if you play good golf it always -- things always take care of themselves." He opened strong at The Open last week with two rounds under par before falling out of contention with two pedestrian follow-up rounds. He's taking a positive mindset from that experience. That might well be justified. Finau has played all six editions of the 3M Open and never finished worse than T28. "I'm optimistic about the week. I had a nice start to the week last week at The Open, didn't have the weekend that I was hoping for. A lot of positives to build from and build on from last week and looking forward to just progressing my way into this weekend." --Field Level Media
New York Post
a day ago
- Sport
- New York Post
3M Open odds, predictions: Three long shot picks for TPC Twin Cities
Gambling content 21+. The New York Post may receive an affiliate commission if you sign up through our links. Read our editorial standards for more information. All four major championships are now behind us, so the PGA Tour schedule will hit a bit of a lull this week with the 2025 3M Open at TPC Twin Cities in Minnesota. Most of the Tour's top players just completed the Scottish-British Open double, so they'll take this week off to get re-adjusted to life on this side of the pond before getting ready for the 2025 FedEx Cup Playoffs, which begin on Aug. 7 with the St. Jude Championship. With so much starpower on the sidelines this week, the 3M Open is up for grabs with no player sticking out as a clear favorite. Sam Burns (16/1) and Maverick McNealy (18/1) are essentially co-favorites at BetMGM, and they are the only players sitting inside 25/1 on the board. The red-hot Chris Gotterup (25/1), Wyndham Clark (25/1), and Si Woo Kim (30/1) round out the top five on the betting board. With a weak field and a relatively easy course, the 3M Open has produced plenty of long-shot winners in its history. Michael Thompson, Cameron Champ, Tony Finau, Lee Hodges, and Jhonattan Vegas are the past five champions here, which tells you everything you need to know about how this tournament will play out. 2025 3M Open picks Tony Finau (40/1, BetMGM) If Tony Finau had any form going into this tournament, he'd be the outright favorite. The Utahn arguably has the highest ceiling of any player in this field, and his course history is superb. Not only did Finau win this event in 2022, but he has posted four top-12 finishes in his last five trips to TPC Twin Cities. Finau's pedestrian form is hard to ignore, and he's making a long trip from Northern Ireland, but the price is right for a player who should be motivated to get his act together before the FedEx Cup Playoffs. Tony Finau won the 2022 3M Open. Getty Images Cam Davis (120/1, FanDuel) Players who can hit it a mile do well at the 3M Open. Finau, Champ, Vegas, and Matthew Wolff all can get down the course in a hurry, and so can Cam Davis, who has some pretty encouraging results at TPC Twin Cities. Davis is one of nine players in this field that has played in every iteration of the 3M, and he's finished 12-28-16-10-19 in the last five editions. Like Finau, Davis' form is nothing to write home about, but that's allowing us to back him at a terrific price in a tournament that is set up for him to succeed. Get the lowdown on the Best USA Sports Betting Sites and Apps Gordon Sargent (350/1, Caesars) At this time last year, Gordon Sargent was regarded as one of the hottest prospects in golf. The Alabama native was coming off a terrific junior season at Vanderbilt, where he was the low amateur at the 2024 U.S. Open (finishing T-39), and he had already earned PGA Tour status. Unfortunately, the hype surrounding Sargent stalled thanks to a poor showing in his senior year at Vanderbilt. Sargent turned pro ahead of the Canadian Open, where he missed the cut, but he's collected paychecks in his last three outings, and he posted a career-best T24 at the ISCO Championship last week. That was an alternate field event, so the competition was unimpressive, but the 3M isn't going to play that much tougher than the Isco. Why Trust New York Post Betting Michael Leboff is a long-suffering Islanders fan, but a long-profiting sports bettor with 10 years of experience in the gambling industry. He loves using game theory to help punters win bracket pools, find long shots, and learn how to beat the market in mainstream and niche sports.
Irish Independent
6 days ago
- Sport
- Irish Independent
The Open: Shane Lowry's two-shot penalty as Rory McIlroy grinds his way back into contention at Portrush
Today 02:43 PM Adam McKendry 'We're looking to get two spots better than last time': Tony Finau is aiming high after a 68 leaves him at -4 On his repeated success at Portrush:"I'm playing the golf course a lot differently than I did in '19. The conditions are a little bit different, but I'm hitting a lot of different clubs off the tee. I'm a little more aggressive. This year I'm hitting more drivers than I did in '19. But that's just the way I'm playing and the way I see it right now. But it is nice to come back to a golf course you've had some success and had a nice finish. We're looking to get two spots better than last time." Having an Irish caddy on the bag:"Colin Byrne is my caddie this week. He's obviously a very well-known caddie. He caddied for Retief Goosen for many years and had a lot of success with him. But being on this side of the pond, he's from Ireland so it's pretty cool to have him on the bag, knows this golf course pretty well, and he's definitely been helpful the first two days. He came pretty highly recommended when I was looking for a guy here this week. I can see why. He's got a lot of experience, veteran caddie. He's been on the Tour for many years and also caddied on LIV. So he's been around the block and caddied for a lot of great players. I thought he'd be a good fit for me this week."
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Finau very much in the hunt at Open Championship after strong second round
Tony Finau safely made the cut at The Open Championship at Royal Portrush in Northern Ireland after carding a solid 3-under-par 68 in round two on Friday. Finau entered the second round at 1-under but made a bogey on the first hole. The Utah native followed with back-to-back birdies on the next two holes and eagled No. 12 with a 35-foot putt to get to 4-under. The cutline is projected to be 2-over par. The leader in the clubhouse when Finau finished his round was Brian Harman at 8-under. Haotong Li caught Harmon atop the leaderboard after 14 holes. World No. 1 golfer Scottie Scheffler was tied for third at 6-under after six holes. Harmon fired a 6-under par 65. Finau had a chance to go to 5-under with another spectacular tee shot on the tough 222-yard par-3 16th. Finau birdied that hole on Thursday and had just 7 feet for birdie Friday but he missed with a runout putt that settled 3 feet beyond the cup. Finau finished his round with pars on 17 and 18 amid a downpour of rain to set up a solid weekend for himself in the winnowed field. He is one stroke ahead of his childhood friend and local Northern Ireland favorite, Rory McIlroy, who finished with a 69 and is at 3-under for the tournament. Players who finished at 5-under par midday at Portrush when Finau signed his card included Harris English, Tyrrell Hatton, Rasmus Hojgaard and Robert MacIntyre.
