Finau finding his comfort zone at TPC Twin Cities

BLAINE, Minn. – When Tony Finau was a kid, he and his six brothers and sisters often came to Minneapolis to visit relatives. They’d have luaus, and he’d put his Polynesian dancing skills, which sometimes included fire and knives, on display. Finau still performs, even celebrating his 2018 Ryder Cup captain’s pick by tweeting out a dance, but he’d never played golf in Minnesota – until this week at the 3M Open. The 29-year-old made the most of the opportunity on Thursday, too, shooting a 5-under 66 at TPC Twin Cities and left him among the leaders in the inaugural event. “I think I had a few fans out there,â€� grinned Finau, who played with Phil Mickelson and last week’s surprise winner, Nate Lashley before a good crowd on a blustery morning. He would probably have had a few more people in his gallery had he been able to wear the jersey the Minnesota Timberwolves gave him earlier in the week. The 6-foot-4 Finau played center in high school, averaging 11 rebounds as a senior, and actually was recruited to play basketball in college. His love, though, was golf, and Finau turned pro after graduating from high school at the age of 17. The T-Wolves jersey had his name and his high school number – 34 – on the back. “It was awesome,â€� said Finau, whose cousin Jabari Parker most recently played for the Washington Wizards. “I was thinking about doing a funny free agency Tweet or Instagram story saying that I signed with the Minnesota Timberwolves. … Really thankful that they were able to do that. It’s pretty cool. “I’m a huge NBA fan, and even though I’m a Lakers fan, I’ll take a jersey from any team.â€� Finau came to TPC Twin Cities on the heels of three straight missed cuts that followed his best finish of the season, solo second at the Charles Schwab Challenge in May. Prior to Thursday, he hadn’t broken par in his last six rounds, so he summoned his coach Boyd Summerhays for a second set of eyes. “I think when you’re trying to get better, sometimes you complicate the process and you think about too many things, try to change too many things at one time,â€� Finau said. “Just keeping it simple, and that’s a lot easier said than done when you’re trying to get incrementally better in this game. “But I think we’ve done a good job of that in the last couple weeks to say, hey, those swing thoughts that have worked, stick with those, and I was able do that today.â€� Still, Finau, who is seeking the second win of his career and the first since 2016, didn’t feel particularly good as he warmed up on the range in advance of his 7:20 a.m. tee time. He wasn’t hitting the kind of solid shots he wanted to see, but was able to regroup once he got on the course. “Sometimes that’s how it goes,â€� Finau said. “You’ve got to muster up something to play with and I was able to find something out there and play well. I made some key putts I feel like were the biggest things.â€� Finau, who started on the back nine, made the turn in 32. He bogeyed the third hole, though, and drove into the deep rough at the sixth, but managed to save par, which he called a “huge turning point in my round.â€� Birdie putts of 3 and 15 feet followed on the next two holes to cap off the 66. The TPC Twin Cities has been toughened and lengthened to 7,468 yards in the year since the PGA TOUR Champions played its last tournament here. Finau, who averaged 324 off the tee on Thursday, called it a “beastâ€� of a golf course made more difficult by ample water hazards and lakes. “I think it fits a guy with length,â€� Finau said. “It’s a big golf course. I think three or four holes are 500 yards plus into the wind today. I was hitting some 5‑ and 6‑irons into some of those par 4s, which is not something I usually do on par 4s. “But I do like the golf course, but I wouldn’t say I’m extremely comfortable. Obviously, there’s a lot of water to deal with and trying to keep away from that.â€�

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