DETROIT — It’s been a week full of firsts for Tony Finau. He is defending his title in the Rocket Mortgage Classic.
Finau said, “This is the very first time I have defended a tournament at the same golf course.” Finau won his sixth PGA Tour championship in the Mexico Open late in April .
Finau’s likeness is also being given away as part of the tournament for the very first time. The first 1,000 people to attend on Tuesday or Wednesday will receive a Finau doll that looks exactly like him.
He said, “I thought that they did a pretty good job.” “I may have to grow a beard and goatee so that I can match the bobblehead that I bought this week.
“I’m honored, I’m humbled,” Finau added. It’s cool to have a bobblehead now. I used to collect them when I was a kid.
The tournament has also added a special touch to help Finau, the defending champion, feel right at home. Finau Fitu sandwiches are also available at concession stands.
“Anyone who is here this week I recommend you order it. “It comes with coconut juice, which is really my favorite drink on the planet,” said he. “I have never had my name on a restaurant menu or been asked for a particular menu item. So, to do something so special was really cool. It’s definitely something I will always remember.”
John Bush, PGA Tour Media Official, said, “It is your world, Tony. We’re just living it.”
He said, “You make it seem like that.”
Big Tone
Lil Tone pic.twitter.com/q7Ss3cHZB4
— PGA TOUR June 27, 2020
Finau only made one bogey during the week on his way to , shooting a tournament record 26-under-par at Detroit Golf Club. He remembers that his wife greeted him with a kiss and hug at the 18 th green.
He said, “It is always an exciting, special moment when you win a tournament. You feel that excitement but also that sense of relief, knowing that you have accomplished your goal for the week – which was to win the tournament.”
He flew back to Phoenix later that night and landed at the crack of dawn. His family was ready to celebrate when he stepped off the plane. Finau’s favorite part is the Netflix document “Full Swing”.
He said, “It took a village to do it and having a large part of my family wait for me was a great feeling.”
Finau expects that he will have to lower his standards even further this year to win the trophy once again. Storms on the weekend have softened Detroit Golf Club – a Donald Ross design over 100 years old – and made it a dartboard. This could lead to record scores.
Finau stated, “I believe this could be a week in which you need to shoot 30 under due to the soft conditions. So, when you shoot 30, you’ve got make putts.” “As for my mentality, I believe that shooters should shoot. That’s it.”
Finau has played his third consecutive week, finishing T-32 and T-45 in the previous two. He said that his putter had let him down recently. He likes to putt on the Bentgrass here, and he is confident that his game will improve despite not having finished in the top 10 since January. His only other top-10 finish was his win in Mexico.
Early in my career, I’d say I was very consistent but I didn’t have many wins. “I haven’t played as consistently in the last two years, but I’ve always won when I was in contention,” he said. “My career has been the story of two careers, so this week I must put myself in contention to have a shot at winning.”
