Tony Finau takes rare position in Detroit: Defending champ

SALT LAKE CITY — Detroit loves Tony Finau.

Or maybe that's just the Finau bobblehead given to the first 1,000 fans at Detroit Golf Club for practice rounds Tuesday and Wednesday at the Rocket Mortgage Classic. Or the Finau Fitu sandwich sold in Detroit (that is often paired with Finau's drink of choice, coconut water).

Whatever it is, Detroit has been good to Finau, who projects as a 1,200-point favorite by BetMGM to win his second-straight Rocket Mortgage Classic one year after winning his third event on the PGA Tour. Now with six wins on the PGA Tour, Finau returns to the scene of the triumph that was celebrated back in Utah after a late flight to make an appearance on behalf of his Tony Finau Foundation charity golf event, and captured perfectly in Netflix's golf documentary "Full Swing."

But beyond the bobbleheads, culinary cuisines and media opportunities, Detroit Golf Club plays well to the strengths of the Rose Park native currently ranked No. 14 in the World Golf Rankings and eighth in the FedEx Cup standings.

"The first thing that drew me to this place when I first played it was the golf course. I think it's an awesome layout," said Finau, who ranks 12th on the PGA Tour in total driving and fourth in tee-to-green but just 101st in putting. "And then to me, as I've learned about the history of Detroit Golf Club, I thought that this was an important place for me to play. What I mean by that is I think that this is the most diverse country club in the country, and that means a lot to me that I can play at a golf course that is so welcoming and has that great history. As I learned about that, I thought that this would be an amazing place to play, and being the champion speaks to that. I think it's a tournament that I'll play because of that for many years.

"I think that's important in our world and in our game, that the diversity of our game continues to grow."

Repeating won't be easy; it never is. Finau hasn't finished above a tie for 23rd since his last win on the PGA Tour on April 30 at the Mexico Open at Vidanta. That includes last week's T45 finish at the Travelers Championship and a T32 at the U.S. Open where he breezed by the cut line before shooting 72-74 on the weekend and finishing at 3-over-par 283 in Los Angeles.

He's stacked successful finishes together, including four top-10 finishes and $5.47 million in official winnings to go along with 1,570 points toward the FedEx Cup Playoffs. But the last two months haven't been so kind to the Utah native who splits time between a home in Lehi and Scottsdale, Arizona, where he trains near his swing coach Boyd Summerhays.

Of course, 2023 has been a good year for comebacks on the Tour. Finau would love to be the latest on a course that is bouncing back after 80 mph winds toppled trees at Detroit Golf Club late Sunday and left cleanup crews armed with woodchippers and chainsaws to sort through the damage through Tuesday.

It would be on brand with Finau, too, who went viral a year ago when he responded to his title by saying, "a winner is just a loser that kept on trying, and that's me to a T."

"Any win is great, but when you go back-to-back at a golf tournament, especially on a tournament that means so much to me. ... You know, this is my first back-to-back in my career last year, winning back-to-back weeks," Finau said. "To be able to go back-to-back at this event in back-to-back years, I think would mean a lot to myself and to my career."

After enduring winning droughts as long as five years, Finau captured his fifth and sixth PGA Tour victories of the season this year at the Houston Open and in Mexico. He'll be joined at Detroit by a loaded field, including former BYU golfer Zac Blair who qualified after finishing tied for second at last week's Travelers Championship, and former BYU golfer Peter Kuest, a Monday open qualifier for his ninth PGA Tour event and first since finishing tied for 57th at the RBC Canadian Open.

That's in addition to stars like Rickie Fowler, Collin Morikawa, Justin Thomas, Max Homa, Tom Kim and last week's Travelers Championship winner Keegan Bradley, who is plus-2,800 to win by BetMGM, among others.

But for now, through the pre-tournament defending champion press conference until the first tee time Thursday morning, it's Finau's world in Detroit — and everyone else is just living in it.

There's a bobblehead at the Detroit Golf Club with a well-sculpted goatee and his winners' green attire to prove it.

"You guys are sure making it feel that way," he joked.

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