'We're still celebrating now': 24 hours after rare consecutive wins, Tony Finau still smiling

FARMINGTON — Less than 24 hours after winning back-to-back titles on the PGA Tour for the first time in his career, Tony Finau barely had time to breathe — yet alone celebrate — his most recent honor at the Rocket Mortgage Classic in Detroit as he ran through jokes, drills and a friendly long-drive competition with some local collegiate golfers as part of a clinic with the Tony Finau Foundation Golf Classic.

There was no celebratory steak dinner the night before, no early-morning run to McDonald's — he didn't even have most of his family with him, save for his wife, Alayna, who surprised him by showing up at his hotel Saturday night before the final round.

Finau, after all, had work to do now. He had a charity golf tournament to host, benefitting his Tony Finau Foundation, played every year at Oakridge Country Club in conjunction with the Utah Championship on the Korn Ferry Tour.

So Tony and Alayna Finau boarded a small flight that arrived at the Provo airport late Sunday night, and were instantly met by several dozen family, friends and supporters to congratulate the four-time winner on the PGA Tour.

And then, there was dancing. Boy, was there dancing.

"We had to catch a flight right away, but we're still celebrating now," Finau said. "My wife had to bring the kids home from Minnesota after that first win, and she told me maybe I should take Detroit off to celebrate the win.

"I told her, it's OK; when I come back home, we'll have two wins. I kind of put it at the forefront of my mind to get back on track and to be ready to go again in Detroit. I was confident enough. … I knew that I was playing well enough to put myself again there on Sunday. And being able to seal the deal was a nice feeling."

Finau likes to say that every week can be life-changing on the PGA Tour, where careers are made and others broken by one putt, one drive, or one shift in the wind. He's had the thought since he was a junior golfer, when his father and late mother drove him to local events up and down the Wasatch Front, before he was driving for show and putting for dough.

For the 32-year-old Rose Park native, it took two weeks — perhaps not to prove he belonged on the PGA Tour (he's done that for several years), but to show that he could win with the best of them. And in the previous 10 days, he's established himself as a force, the first winner of back-to-back regular-season events since 2019 with one of the hottest putters on the PGA Tour ahead of the FedEx Cup Playoffs.

Sunday was a little different, if only that Finau closed out a tournament he led wire-to-wire, and won a field he led before Sunday's final round for the first time in six tries.

There's no better place to enjoy it, either, than in his native state of Utah.

"Utah is definitely home," said Finau, who splits his time between Lehi and Arizona, where his swing coach Boyd Summerhays lives. "I love being from Utah, I'm proud to represent Utah. I've been interviewed here since I was 7. To come back and to celebrate this with the state of Utah and my incredible fan base in Utah is something.

"It's pretty cool, and I think a lot of Utahns are proud of it."

Finau was one of the top-rated players in the field in both the Twin Cities and Detroit, and winning simply solidified him as one of the top golfers on the PGA Tour. He's currently ranked No. 7 in the FedEx Cup standings, which will determine the start of the playoffs beginning in two weeks, and rose to No. 13 in the Official World Golf Rankings while all-but solidifying a spot in the Presidents Cup roster.

So naturally, as his star shines brighter and the wins keep coming, the question will follow Finau — whether he likes it or not — about his allegiance to the PGA Tour. With several top golfers like Dustin Johnson, Brooks Koepka and Phil Mickelson defecting to the Saudi Investment Fund-backed LIV Golf series in recent weeks, Finau reaffirmed his allegiance Monday to "the best tour in the world."

"To me, at this point in my career, it's so much about the satisfaction of winning golf tournaments, of winning against the best players in the world, on what I feel like is the best tour in the world," he said. "The satisfaction that comes from that, no amount of money can buy; it's just a fulfillment that I'm after, after all these years of working hard.

"Being at my best that I've ever been, to have the opportunity to reap some of the rewards of winning, there's nothing that can sum up how that feels."

The last two weeks have felt like a breakthrough for those who have watch Finau's career for the past 11 seasons — or more. But the breakthrough didn't come with two wins, he contests; a winner is just a loser who kept trying, he likes to say.

Finau isn't doing anything different. But after a lifetime of drawing so close, the results are starting to match his play.

"I don't know if 'breakthrough' is the word; maybe some relief in there. I think there's some strength drawn from it, and some confidence," he said. "I've been very patient with myself over the years, to just allow myself to grow into what I can become. I think now it's cool to start to see some of the results."

Finau will take the week off, spend time with his family, and prepare for the playoffs. After the regular-season finale in North Carolina, the top 70 players in the standings will earn a start in the FedEx St. Jude Championship, with 50 advancing to the BMW Championship and 30 to the TOUR Championship. Purses have been similarly elevated, with bonus pools totaling $145 million, including $75 million for the FedEx Cup champion.

"I'm excited for next week and the playoffs," he said. "I'm very much looking forward to being in those fields, and competing for a FedEx Cup."

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