After beginning the final-round of the Cadence Bank Houston Open a 4-stroke lead which, at one point grew to eight strokes, Tony Finau (1st/-16) closed with a 1-under 69 to win by four strokes at 264.
Claimed his fifth career PGA TOUR title in his 218th start at the age of 33 years, 1 month, 30 days, collected 500 FedExCup points and moved to T7 in the standings.
Related: Feeding on birdies, Tony Finau works up handy lead in Houston
Played Nos. 1-9 in 15-under for the week, as opposed to 1-under on Nos. 10-18.
The winning margin of four strokes matches that of last week’s win by Russell Henley at the World Wide Technology Championship at Mayakoba.
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Finau maintained at least a share of the lead all four rounds; becomes the first 18-hole leader/co-leader to win on TOUR since he won the Rocket Mortgage Classic last season in July.
Finau becomes the 14th 54-hole leader/co-leader to convert for the win at the Houston Open (most recent before this week: Lanto Griffin/2019).
Becomes the fifth 54-hole leader/co-leader to convert for the win in the 2022-23 season (most recent before this week: Russell Henley/World Wide Technology Championship at Mayakoba).
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At 195 (-15) through the first three rounds, he tied the tournament’s 54-hole scoring record (Curtis Strange/1980).
Recorded most birdies of any player through 72 holes (22).
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The win comes a week after missing the cut in his first start of the season at the World Wide Technology Championship at Mayakoba.
Tyson Alexander (2nd/-12) sank at 32’ 8” putt for birdie on the 72nd hole to close with a 4-under 66, his third such score of the week. The runner-up finish comes in his eighth career TOUR start and supplants a previous-best finish of T44 from the 2022 Butterfield Bermuda Championship).
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In search of his first career TOUR title in his 45th start, England’s Ben Taylor finished third at 11-under 269 in his second start at the Cadence Bank Houston Open (T55/2019).
He recorded two runner-up finishes, including one in the regular season finale, on the Korn Ferry Tour last season to secure a return to the PGA TOUR; previously graduated via the 2019 Korn Ferry Tour Finals and played the 2019-20 and 2020-21 seasons on TOUR.
Needing a win to return to No. 1 in the Official World Golf Ranking, Scottie Scheffler finished T9 at 6-under 274.
