![\"Tony](\"https:\/\/indiansportsnews.co.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/Tony_Finau-Golf.jpg\")
When the press went from praising him to questioning him, he never blinked. Same, too, when his most ardent fans moved away from their predictions of golf greatness and instead began to question whether he had what it took to win on Sundays.<\/p>\nWhen the press went from praising him to questioning him, he never blinked. Same, too, when his most ardent fans moved away from their predictions of golf greatness and instead began to question whether he had what it took to win on Sundays.<\/p>\n
But for Finau, nothing ever changed. He knew all along what it would take to win, just like he knew all along he had those attributes in hand.<\/p>\n
\u201cWell, you know, I continue to believe in myself. That’s the bottom line,\u201d Finau said. \u201cIt’s more massive I think for just my sense of accomplishment for myself. I’ve worked extremely hard, not only on my game; but on my body to put myself in these types of positions and eventually I knew it was going to happen.\u201d<\/p>\n
To Finau\u2019s credit\u2014and maybe his relief\u2014it did eventually happen. And it happened on perhaps one of the biggest stages of them all. His furious final-round rally at THE NORTHERN TRUST, the first event of the FedExCup Playoffs, was enough to deliver him a playoff victory over fellow Presidents Cup participant Cameron Smith after overnight leader and World No. 1 Jon Rahm faltered down the stretch.<\/p>\n
The win, his first since the 2016 Puerto Rico Open, moved him to No. 1 in the FedExCup Standings ahead of this week\u2019s BMW Championship and delivered him without question the most significant moment of his still-burgeoning career.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt’s hard losing, and it’s hard losing in front of the world,\u201d Finau said. \u201cI’ve done it already a couple times this year; in playoffs it’s happened to me. That made me more hungry. That’s what it does. If it doesn’t discourage you, it makes you more hungry. You guys keep (asking) me, \u2018When are you going to win again?\u2019 It makes me more hungry.\u201d<\/p>\n
Fair or unfair, the 31-year-old has been the poster child of most every \u201cWhat If?\u201d and \u201cWhat Happened?\u201d storyline over the last five years. Though countless other players on the PGA TOUR have found themselves in the same position\u2014close, but not quite good enough\u2014it\u2019s been Finau who has borne the brunt of the criticism.<\/p>\n
Of course, much of that is a credit to his own vast skillset. Prior to this year, Finau ranked inside the top 10 in driving distance in four of the last five seasons\u2014the lone exception coming in 2019-20, when he finished 13th\u2014and he has ranked inside the top 20 in scoring average each of the last five years. In all, he\u2019s been a mainstay atop the Strokes Gained: Tee-to-Green category since 2017, finishing an average of 14th on TOUR over that timeframe.<\/p>\n
Those gaudy stats have led him to 40 top-10 finishes since his triumph at the Puerto Rico Open\u2014seven this season alone\u2014eight runner-up finishes (only Louis Oosthuizen has more) and appearances on both Presidents Cup and Ryder Cup teams.<\/p>\n
He has seemingly had it all. Except, of course, for a win.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat’s how it is in sports. When you don’t seal the deal, as time goes on, they don’t give you the benefit of the doubt,\u201d he said. \u201cSo I knew for me, I needed to prove people wrong by winning. That’s the bottom line and that’s what sports is all about.<\/p>\n
\u201cI knew that I was a closer; the way that I play on Sundays tells me that I’m a closer, and when I look at my scores, I’ve made clutch putts. Just sometimes this game is funny. The guys get away with shots or whatever the case. I feel like I’ve got the short end of the stick for the most part coming down the stretch and having a chance to win a golf tournament.\u201d<\/p>\n
Let it be a message to everyone from Finau\u2019s PGA TOUR brethren to the weekend hacker at your local municipal \u2013 The outside noise and narratives mean little when it comes to one\u2019s own success. Unwavering self-belief and confidence are what matters most.<\/p>\n
Just ask Finau.<\/p>\n
\u201cI haven’t had the wins to maybe have that type of confidence and belief, but you just have to,\u201d he said. \u201cI had to believe I can go out there and beat (Justin Thomas) today, and I can beat Jon Rahm. I have to believe that, and I did, and I continue to do that, and that’s the only reason why I’m sitting here today as the champion.<\/p>\n
\u201cI continue to believe in myself no matter where the chips fall and try and do my best.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
When the press went from praising him to questioning him, he never blinked. Same, too, when his most ardent fans moved away from their predictions of golf greatness and instead began to question whether he had what it took to win on Sundays. But for Finau, nothing ever changed. He knew all along what it […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":38279,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":true,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"tdm_status":"","tdm_grid_status":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-38280","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-golf-golf"],"yoast_head":"\n