Tony Finau won his fourth PGA TOUR title at the Rocket Mortgage Classic, and second in as many weeks on the heels of 3M Open victory. Excerpts from an interview:
We would like to welcome the 2022 Rocket Mortgage Classic champion Tony Finau into the interview room. Tony wins back-to-back weeks on the PGA TOUR, winning last week’s 3M Open and now here at Detroit Golf Club and moves to No. 7 in the FedExCup standings with one week to play in the FedExCup regular season.
Tony: Yeah, thanks. Yeah, what a wonderful couple weeks it’s been. To capitalize the way I did last week and today, on a Sunday where it was pretty tight there going down the stretch and I was able to pull away with some birdies. I won the golf tournament last week. For some reason I left, and after bogeying the 18th hole I had kind of a sour taste in my mouth and I think it just gave me extra motivation to put myself there again this week and just prove to myself the kind of champion that I am and making birdies down the stretch when you really need them. So that’s all I tried to do. When I got to 14 tee, my goal was to birdie 14 and 17. If I could do that, I knew I was going to win the golf tournament and I was able to do that. I was just proud of the way I finished. I thought that this week I was able to prove to myself the champion that I feel like I am.
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At this time two weeks ago you were No. 30 in the FedExCup standings and you’re a two-time winner on Tour. Now, as I mentioned, No. 7, a four-time winner on Tour. Have the goals changed as we move towards the FedExCup Playoffs, or what are your goals as we finish up here in this season?
Tony: Yeah, it’s funny you talk about goals. I write down goals before every season. I was able to peek at them overnight. One of my goals would be to be a multiple win on Tour this season. To be able to accomplish that is amazing. Another goal is to win the FedExCup and I put myself in position to do that. Scotty’s going to be extremely hard to catch. Sam Burns, those guys have had unbelievable seasons. I think Cameron Smith is up there. Those guys will be hard to catch, but the way the points work in the FedExCup, you’re able to race up that, climb that ladder pretty fast. I at least have given myself a chance to do that. I think I’ve been quoted saying it many times before, a week can change your life. I guess when you look at mine, two weeks is now back-to-back weeks has now changed my life and it’s a great feeling.
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Related: Tony Finau on the cusp of back-to-back wins
A year ago there was a totally different narrative about the close calls and whatnot and blah, blah, blah. Now you’ve won three times in 12 months. You’ve got to feel quite gratified and satisfied with having continued to sort of pound on the door as you did. You kept saying it’s going to happen, it’s going to happen. Now it’s continuing to happen. You’ve got to feel pretty happy about it.
Tony: Yeah, I think that’s well put. I put myself in situations to win before, haven’t been able to do it, but I’m very optimistic. I’ve always been that way. I’ve always had hope and faith that things will turn out if I just keep working hard and putting myself there. And that’s the thing, I challenge myself every week to just push past what I feel like I’m capable of. By that I mean just my emotions. You know, these hurdles that you face during a tournament, try and put yourself in uncomfortable situations and I proved to myself these last couple weeks that I’ve done that and won some golf tournaments.
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But I’m proud of the way that I fought through adversity through my career and now I’m a
back-to-back champion. That’s what happens. They say a winner is just a loser that just kept on trying, and that’s me to a T. How many times do I lose? But one thing I won’t do is give up and I’m only here as a winner because I chose not to give up and just keep going.
