Monday Finish: Kevin Tway outlasts Brandt Snedeker, Ryan Moore for Safeway Open victory

TONY FINAU WINS 3M OPEN FOR THIRD PGA TOUR TITLE Wednesday afternoon, Tony Finau read an article that listed him as the betting favorite for the 3M Open, also noting he was the world’s highest ranked player in the field at TPC Twin Cities. Finau channeled that pressure into a sparkling performance, carding a four-round total of 17-under for a three-stroke victory over Sungjae Im and Emiliano Grillo, his third career PGA TOUR title. The 32-year-old father of five trailed 54-hole leader Scott Piercy by five strokes heading into Sunday in Minnesota but caught fire with three consecutive birdies on Nos. 14-16 Sunday, as Piercy stumbled to a back-nine 41 that included a triple bogey on No. 14. Ever the sportsman, Piercy made a beeline for Finau post-round to provide congratulations – the two go back to the Ultimate Game in 2007, a high-stakes competition in Las Vegas where Piercy won $2 million; Finau was just 17 years old at the time. “He was genuinely happy for me,” Finau said, “which I think makes our game so great.” Also on hand in Minnesota were Finau’s wife and five kids, marking the first time the entire family was able to celebrate a TOUR title together in real-time. Finau accrues 500 FedExCup points for his victory and moves to No. 17 on the season-long standings. He also moves to No. 7 on the United States President Cup standings, as he strives to secure a spot at Quail Hollow in September. BLASTING OFF TO ROCKET MORTGAGE CLASSIC The Rocket Mortgage Classic is the penultimate event of the PGA TOUR’s Regular Season before the FedExCup Playoffs begin. The field is full of stars and those looking to either get into the Playoffs or improve their standings. Reigning FedExCup champion Patrick Cantlay leads the field in Detroit as the PGA TOUR inches closer to crowning the champion of this season’s FedExCup. Rookie of the Year frontrunner Cameron Young, who’s 13th in the FedExCup, returns to action after his runner-up at The Open. Will Zalatoris and Sahith Theegala are also among the up-and-coming stars in the field who have been knocking on the door as they seek their first PGA TOUR victory. Tony Finau, Max Homa, Kevin Kisner, Harris English and Rickie Fowler are also in the field; the latter two are looking to lock up FedExCup Playoffs berths. There are 11 major champions in the field, and the winner receives 500 FedExCup points. VIDEO OF THE WEEK MIC CHECK “I knew it was going to be an honor if I had the chance of playing in it.” – Jake Olson, 25, who competed in the inaugural U.S. Adaptive Open last week at Pinehurst No. 6. Olson was the only completely blind golfer in the field. Check out Olson’s story of resilience here, and about the time he got to spend with Tiger Woods. BY THE NUMBERS 28 – Under-par total for David Kocher on the week at the Price Cutter Charity Championship presented by Dr Pepper on the Korn Ferry Tour. The 26-year-old Maryland graduate won by six shots. 69 – Final-round score for Darren Clarke in the final round of The Senior Open Championship presented by Rolex, good enough for a one-shot victory over Padraig Harrington at Gleneagles in Scotland. 87 – Length in feet that C.T. Pan made on a putt on the par-5 18th hole on Sunday at the 3M Open. It was the second-longest putt made by anyone on the PGA TOUR this season. COMCAST BUSINESS TOUR TOP 10 The Comcast Business TOUR TOP 10 highlights and rewards the extraordinary level of play required to earn a spot in the TOP 10 at the conclusion of the FedExCup Regular Season as determined by the FedExCup standings. The competition recognizes and awards the most elite in golf.

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Unfortunately, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Alec Cabacungan won't be at the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open to provide a little extra motivation for defending champion Kevin Na this week. But the charismatic 18-year-old who suffers from osteogenesis imperfecta, more commonly known as brittle bone disease, certainly made a lasting impression on Na when the two renewed acquaintances prior to last year's tournament at TPC Summerlin. RELATED: More on RSM Birdies Fore Love Cabacungan, who wants to be a sports broadcaster, interviewed Na that Wednesday and showed the PGA TOUR veteran some video of his breakthrough win at the tournament in 2011. Fast forward to Sunday and a hard-fought battle with Patrick Cantlay that Na won on the second playoff hole. The win was Na's second in Las Vegas, his adopted hometown, and the fourth of his TOUR career. And Na says talking with Cabacungan about his 2011 Shriners Hospitals for Children Open victory helped give him the kind of confidence he needed to win. "He motivated me that week that I could do it again," says Na, who fired a career-low 61 in the third round. In addition to the 500 FedExCup points and $1.26 million Na earned last year, he also led the week's RSM Birdies Fore Love competition. That means he got a bonus of $50,000 to give to the charity of his choice, and it certainly wasn't a hard decision. Na and his family, which includes wife Jullianne and their two children, decided to give the money to Shriners Hospitals for Children for OI research. The genetic disorder affects between 20,000 and 50,000 people in the United States. But meeting just one of those had a particular impact on Na. "One, it made sense because I won the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open," he says of the donation. "And meeting Alec and getting in to learn about that disease was the reason why." Jim Smith, Imperial Potentate of Shriners International, says Na's donation makes a big difference in the mission of the organization, which has a network of 22 non-profit hospitals nationwide. "Our donors, whom we depend on, have helped us treat more than 1.4 million children from over 170 countries," Smith says. "We are humbled by Kevin's generosity." Cabacungan is one of those children. He has been a patient at the Chicago Shriners Hospital since he was two months old, receiving therapy and treatments designed to build stronger bone mass. In his short 18 years on earth, Cabacungan has undergone 12 surgeries and broken more than 60 bones. Patients with OI can break bones by doing something as innocuous sneezing or coughing, as well as falling down. Despite the many obstacles he's faced, though, Cabacungan is known for his bubbly personality and his infectious smile. "He's a happy guy and has a lot of good energy," Na said. Cabacungan is essentially the face of Shriners Hospitals for Children, too. Since he was 14 years old, he has appeared in commercials broadcast nationwide to raise the profile of the facilities that work with children with neuromusculoskeletal conditions and burn injuries, as well as other healthcare issues. The sports-minded teenager, who loves to play wheelchair basketball, makes appearances around the country. Cabacungan has been profiled on CBS's "Sunday Morning" and joined one of his idols, Ernie Johnson, along with NBA greats Kenny Smith, Charles Barkley and Shaquille O'Neal on TNT's "Inside the NBA" in 2017. And one year ago, Cabacungan was at TPC Summerlin, trying his interviewing skills out on Na, who responded by showing the teen his signature move of walking in the putt. "I know his dream is to become a sports announcer, and I hope his dream comes true," Na said. On Sunday, though, Na was living his own dream. "It’s always nice to play in your hometown, but to win on top of that, it was very special," Na says. "And to have my family there to celebrate together on 18 was a special moment. "And to be able to donate to Shriners made it even better."

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VIRGINIA WATER, England — Francesco Molinari mastered the toughest conditions of the week at Wentworth to shoot a 6-under 66 and share the lead with Rory McIlroy after three rounds of the BMW PGA Championship on Saturday. Scoring was more difficult because of gusty winds and fast, firm greens at the West Course but Molinari managed a bogey-free round featuring six birdies starting from the eighth hole. It was the lowest score of the day as the Italian took five shots off McIlroy, who started the round with a three-stroke lead and needed birdies at the par fives at Nos. 17 and 18 for a 1-under 71 to keep at least a share of first place on 13-under 203. It could be a two-way fight for the title at the European Tour’s flagship event, with their nearest challengers — defending champion Alex Noren (70), Sam Horsfield (72), Branden Grace (69) and Ross Fisher (68) — four shots back on 9 under. Lee Westwood is in a four-man tie for seventh place, one stroke further back, after a 69. After playing what he described as one of his best rounds of 2018 in shooting 65 on Friday, McIlroy struggled for accuracy off the tee in the crosswinds. At No. 6, he pushed an iron off tee into the trees and drilled his attempted hack out through some bushes and off the knuckles of a nearby spectator. He wound up with a double-bogey 6 that saw him drop out of first place. About that time, Molinari was embarking on his burst of six birdies in 10 holes and never trailed McIlroy after that. However, the four-time major winner managed to birdie the closing par fives for the first time this week to rescue his round. McIlroy was lucky at No. 18, with his drive hitting spectators on the left of fairway and bouncing back into the light rough. Molinari has top-10 finishes in five of the last six years at Wentworth, and was runner-up to Noren last year. McIlroy won here in 2014.

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