Played center on the basketball team and helped team reach the state tournament his junior and senior seasons. They made the move with their two oldest children in early 1989. Max Homa made nine birdies and shrugged off a double bogey on the way to a 7-under 65 in the third round Saturday, joining Tony Finau and Si Woo Kim … Tony and Gipper became such fixtures at the course that the golf pro, Richard Mason, started letting them play for free in the late afternoons. To learn more or opt-out, read our Cookie Policy. He won the next one, too. Finau's primary problem, in fact, is that he's too consistent in final rounds. For the best website experience, we recommend updating your browser. PGA golfer Tony Finau poses for a photo in the gym at his home in Lehi on Tuesday, Feb. 6, 2018. Kelepi Finau, father of PGA golfer Tony Finau, watches a movie with his granddaughter, Leilene, 5, at Tony's home in Lehi on Tuesday, Feb. 6, 2018. Tony Finau earned his way onto the Web.com Tour (now the Korn Ferry Tour) ahead of the 2014 season and earned his PGA Tour card later that year. Sione Tonga Finau, who is 92 and still going strong in Inglewood, mowed lawns and took care of people’s yards, never letting his children forget that he’d brought them to the land of opportunity and now it was up to them what they did with it. Tony Finau watches his tee shot on the second hole of the South Course at Torrey Pines Golf Course during the final round of the Farmers Insurance Open golf tournament on Sunday, Jan. 28, 2018, in San Diego. They never heard their mom talk bad about anyone. You’ve got to have the whole game, you need to be able to chip and putt. He toiled on the eGolf Tour, the Canadian Tour, the Gateway Tour — golf’s low minor leagues. “Once he saw how serious we were, he would be like, ‘OK, you guys go ahead and have at it,’” says Tony. Later on, as he learned the history of the sport and began to appreciate the significance of the world’s most prestigious tournament, he vowed he would not set foot in golf’s mecca until he made the field. Was two-time medalist in the Utah state high school championship and a member of the 2006 state championship team. They learned a lot from her teaching them how to be respectful.”, In 2016, while playing at the PGA Tour stop in Fort Worth, Texas, one of Tony’s drives hit a spectator on the head, causing her to need stitches. This first took place at the Jordan River par-3 course on Redwood Road just a few blocks from the Finaus' apartment. A proclamation from Utah Gov. Marty Schottenheimer dies at 77. Johnson, 34, retained his composure with a … SALT LAKE CITY — In the spring of 1997, when he was 7 years old, Tony Finau sat on the couch in his family’s apartment in Rose Park on the west side of Salt Lake City transfixed by what he was seeing on TV: a 21-year-old black kid named Tiger Woods dismantling the field at the Masters. 45 in the FedExCup standings, marking the second-consecutive season he has advanced to the 70-player BMW Championship field. The photo she posted on Instagram thanked him and ended with, “your new favorite fan, Elisa #iforgiveyou #ouch #classact.”. The day Tony graduated from high school, he turned professional. Won the 2006 Utah State Amateur, beating Daniel Summerhays. Kelepi lays that all on Vena. 19 in the FedExCup standings. However, this just isn’t the case. Followed with a T24 at the Deutsche Bank Championship and T66 at the BMW Championship, finishing No. Recorded seven top-10s, highlighted by a playoff loss to Webb Simpson at the Waste Management Phoenix Open, and made the cut in 16 of 20 starts. Alayna herself is a big time family woman. At some point, you would come across Tony Finau’s stats, and you’d conclude that if he wasn’t undeniably great, he was at least on the threshold. Tony Finau believes a long-awaited return to the winner’s circle is getting closer after having to settle for a runner-up finish at Saudi International. The first mini-tour event he entered after the eight-week layoff he won. On a larger, longer-lasting nice-guy scale, there’s the Tony Finau Foundation, funded by a percentage of Tony’s winnings that go toward helping underprivileged kids in Rose Park. “I saw him fist pumping, I saw him wearing the green jacket; he made the game look so cool. A deep dive into the 10-year coach’s contract history shows how much he was valued for his successes. In the second round of the 2017 QBE Shootout at Tiburon Golf Club, Shane Lowry and Graeme McDowell climbed to the top of the leaderboard and are tied with Steve Stricker and Sean O'Hair at 18-under par. Kelepi plays golf only sparingly. Tony grew up with a love and passion for golf. Leilene is Tony's daughter. To watch in a smaller size, scroll down while your video is playing. Milton Pouha "Tony" Finau (born September 14, 1989) is an American professional golfer who currently plays on the PGA Tour. They can know that you don’t have to come up from a lot. If not a professional golfer, he would be a chef. After the round, he found out who the young woman was and showed up at her parents’ house with flowers, chocolates and a get-well card. Socially — the other kids in Rose Park: you’re doing what?! Fortunately, no one was there to tell him he should have his head examined. Finau won the Utah State Amateur Tournament Sunday over Daniel Summerhays at Soldier Hollow Golf Course in Midway. Afterward, “I told Tony, ‘OK, I played Augusta. “My brother and I ended up being known for our distance, but we had no idea how far we could hit the ball because we hit it the same and all of a sudden we’re going to tournaments and we’re driving the par-4s. At 10 years old, I was hitting it like 240.”. West's Tony Finau plays in the Region 6 Prep Golf Finals at Soldier Hollow Golf Course on Oct. 3, 2006. He was 17 years old. https://golfweek.usatoday.com/2021/01/20/tony-finau-payday-20-million-man His cousin is NBA basketball player Jabari Parker. LA QUINTA, Calif. – Tony Finau is one of modern-day golf’s great rags to riches story, as he reminded the media on Wednesday with a tale from his mini tour days playing at PGA West, home of the American Express this week. Once he allowed us to just play, we would average four or five times playing the nine-hole par 3.”. It taught them to learn to chip and putt before anything else. He worked hard on every other tour. 17 in the FedExCup standings. Baltimore Ravens defensive tackle Haloti Ngata watches the action from the sidelines during the second half of a NFL football game against the Cleveland Browns in Baltimore, Md., Sunday Sept. 15, 2013. He is the native of Salt Lake City, Utah, United States of America. In less than four years he’s made $9 million in prize money and is ranked No. He had scholarship offers to play college golf, Stanford and BYU among them (Weber State and Utah State were also interested in having him play basketball), but when a local businessman offered to put up $50,000 apiece to stake Tony and his brother in a made-for-TV golf event in Las Vegas with a $2 million payday to the winner, they jumped at the chance. Tony Finau Tournament Results Season: Select 2021 2020 2019 2018 2017 2016 2015 2014 2013 2012 2011 2010 2009 2008 2007 2006 2005 2004 2003 2002 2001 2021 PGA Season Overview When Kelepi’s employer, Delta Airlines, merged with Salt Lake City-based Western Airlines, an opportunity came to relocate to Utah. Consequently, he has accumulated 2 professional wins till now including one “PGA Tour” win, and one “Web.com Tour” win. Finished T7 in the last two Playoffs events, the BMW Championship and TOUR Championship, before ending his season at No. Why the NFL’s eighth-winningest coach was ‘a tremendous leader of men’, Utah State basketball series with Wyoming postponed, Letter: A pandemic is not the time for ‘fiscal responsibility’, Outlook dismal for Utah water supply with snowpack at just 62% of normal, Mike Lee, Mitt Romney taking different approaches to Trump impeachment trial, Coronavirus most likely jumped from animals to humans, WHO says, The latest: Senate votes to move forward with Trump’s second impeachment trial. To the point that when it came time for Tony to enter high school, East High let it be known he would be more than welcome to be part of their golf program that had won two straight big-school state championships. Would you like to get started? Homa made nine birdies and shrugged off a double bogey on the way to a 7-under 65 in the third round Saturday, joining Tony Finau and Si Woo Kim atop the leaderboard at 15-under 201. “I knew when I got on tour that if I had the opportunity to give back to my community, which is Rose Park, I would,” says Tony. Seven-year-old Tony finished back in the pack with a 47 — 20 strokes behind his little brother. Tony Finau’s ace on the 4th hole in the third round of the 2020 Mayakoba Tony Finau aces No. 2. Recorded six top-10s, with five coming in major championships, World Golf Championships and the FedExCup Playoffs, and made 20 cuts in 25 starts. Finished No. “I didn’t know until I was 15 or 16 years old my dad had no clue what he was doing,” says Tony. He is of mixed Tongan and Samoan descent, the first person of such ancestry to play on the PGA Tour. 1 Gonzaga, BYU desperately searching for opponents this week, Federal officials reveal cause of Kobe Bryant helicopter crash. Don’t miss anything from the PGA TOUR & its partners, Connect to get special offers and updates, Sign up for the Monthly Minute newsletter, No additional profile information available, Will feature 23 tournaments during calendar year, Why he's built for sustained success in pro golf, Lowry, McDowell fight to join the lead at QBE Shootout. I like everything about it. PGA golfer Tony Finau, right, and his father, Kelepi Finau, pose for a photo at Tony's home in Lehi on Tuesday, Feb. 6, 2018. Tony Finau hits his tee shot on the second hole during the final round of the Genesis Open golf tournament at Riviera Country Club on Sunday, Feb. 18, 2018, in the Pacific Palisades area of Los Angeles. World number one Dustin Johnson won the Saudi International by two shots from his American compatriot Tony Finau and England's Justin Rose. To be a role model for some of these kids, to tell them they can make it, I love that. The weight of Hilton’s and others testimony baffled Utah lawmakers, leaving some incredulous as to how such "disgusting" abuse of children had persisted for decades. He won his first PGA Tour title in 2016 at the Puerto Rico Open and is now one of the best players in the world. Did you know you can save your preferences across all your digital devices and platforms simply by creating a profile? Amateur champion and five-time PGA TOUR winner George Von Elm. Finau begins the new year ranked as the 20th player in the world by the World Golf Rankings (WGR) and 40th in the FedEx Cup standings. Tony Finau lines up a putt with caddy Toa Afo on Sunday, July 8, 2006. Paris Hilton backs bill to regulate troubled teen centers: ‘You can’t silence me’. Richy Werenski also shot a 65 and moved within a shot of the lead at PGA West near Palm Springs. With rounds of 68-65-70-67, finished six strokes behind champion Ben Martin. Was one of just four to make it to the BMW Championship, the third of four events in the Playoffs. But Vena didn’t. Tony Finau did not attend college as he was already a full-time professional golfer at the age of 17. Tony Finau Foundation, Lehi, Utah. Afterward, in 2016, he won the title of “Puerto Rico Open” in the PGA tour. On April 5, at 28, Finau will tee it up in the tournament that got him off the couch as a 7-year-old watching Tiger Woods. Opened with a first-round 66 and followed with 72-72-71 to finish T6 at Ohio State University GC's Scarlet Course. The next year, in 2013, he finally made it through qualifying school, gaining full-time entry on the Web.com Tour, just one step below the big time. The following August, Kelepi Jr., who everybody called Gipper, came along. On other signs he wrote motivational phrases. Tony made it to the final round and collected $100,000 and a Callaway sponsorship deal — enough to pay back his benefactor and get him started on his quest to make it to the PGA Tour. It’s a line he delivers often now that he’s one of the world’s top golfers, guaranteed to bring smiles, even from his dad, especially from his dad, whose only real contact with golf prior to starting Team Finau was one time when Delta sent the baggage handlers to represent the airline at a scramble tournament. Chose to not pursue basketball and concentrated on golf instead despite college basketball scholarship offers. Tony Finau From a young age, started his golf career. Was 2007 Athlete of the Year at West High School.Turned professional out of high school at age 17 in 2007. The Tony Finau Foundation aims to empower kids and families to discover, develop and achieve the best of their gifts and talents through the game of golf. PGA TOUR rookie enjoyed a solid year, amassing five top-10 finishes in 28 starts through the Wyndham Championship. Finau finish in fifth place. Tony Finau did not attend college as he was already a full-time professional golfer at the age of 17. “My kids’ attitude is that no one is a bad person, because that’s how their mom was,” he says. “When I started to play golf, I didn’t dream of just playing in the Masters, I dreamed of winning it. He bought clubs at Deseret Industries and the Salvation Army for 75 cents apiece and cut them down to junior size. He was joined by a member of the club, which is required, his good friend Dave Layton and, to round out the foursome, his father. I wear green on Sunday because it’s my mom’s favorite color, but green goes pretty well on Sunday at the Masters, too. As a white mom of Black children, I’ve learned being ‘colorblind’ is problematic. We use cookies and other tracking technologies to improve your browsing experience on our site, show personalized content and targeted ads, analyze site traffic, and understand where our audiences come from. The dark side of ‘green energy’ and its threat to the nation’s environment, How Utah’s Larry Krystkowiak became one of the highest-paid coaches in college basketball. Tony Finau: Career . She’s frequently seen in the photos she posts on Facebook with her kids, and family life is very big in her culture (although I’m trying to think of a culture where family isn’t such a big value). Tony Finau: Career . “We learned what it was like to make the right sound when you make a solid chip.”. There’s no way we’d have ever learned how to play the game if not for that golf course. LA QUINTA, Calif. – Tony Finau and Max Homa earned their first PGA TOUR cards as part of the 2014 Korn Ferry Tour graduating class. “The crazy thing is, the last club I ever learned to hit was my driver,” says Tony, who consistently ranks among the top hitters on the PGA Tour with drives that average more than 320 yards. I’m going to need you to have a project with these two, because if they get into trouble and give me problems, I’m going to shoot you myself.’”. Remembers Kelepi, “Before we came here, my mother and father sat us down in Tonga and said look, this country is the greatest country in the world, it will offer you things others won’t, it will recognize your talent, it will recognize your hard work, but if we go there and you kids don’t have gratitude in your hearts for stepping foot in that country, I don’t think any of you will be successful.”. In a filing with Utah’s 3 rd District Court, businessman Molonai Hola claims that he paid the expenses for Finau and his family for several years and was not compensated per their agreement. Of 25 made cuts in 28 starts, collected 11 top-10 finishes, highlighted by three runner-up showings. His year’s head start showed in the first tournament the brothers entered together. Tony Finau made it to the final 12 and earned $100,000, which covered the $50,000 entry fees for each of the two Finau brothers. Tony Finau, of West High School, drives the ball off the tee on the ninth hole during the 2006 4A State High School Golf Championship on Oct. 10, 2006. Won the Junior World Golf Championship in 2002. Qualified for the FedExCup Playoffs for the fourth time in as many attempts, finishing a career-high No. Xander Schauffele has gotten two wins, taking home two in 2017 and two in 2019 as well. Kelepi and Vena were married in 1985 in Long Beach and settled into Southern California. PGA golfer Tony Finau eats with two of his children, Sage, 1, and Tony, 2, at their home in Lehi on Tuesday, Feb. 6, 2018. Driving home from a wedding in Reno, Vena died in a car accident at 47. Contemplating his future without the mother who was his rock, he decided the one thing she absolutely would want him to do was to keep going, to not quit. 353.8k Followers, 594 Following, 504 Posts - See Instagram photos and videos from Tony Finau (@tonyfinaugolf) PGA golfer Tony Finau poses for a photo at his home in Lehi on Tuesday, Feb. 6, 2018. Also at 8 under were Tony Finau, who had a 5-under 67 on the North; Ryan Palmer, who carded a 2-under 70 on the North; Adam Scott, who had a 3-under 69 on the South; and Lanto Griffin, who shot 2-under 70 on the South. Michael Brandy/Deseret Morning News, Deseret News archives. Kelepi met Ravena through sports. He won the "Utah State Amateur Championship" in … Every year from 2007 through 2011, he went to the PGA Tour’s grueling qualifying school. I think it’s a good setup for me. He went home, collected a bunch of golf balls from neighbors who’d heard what he was up to, backed the car out of the garage, and put up a mattress on the wall that the boys could hit into off strips of carpet he placed on the floor. “I’ll never forget him for that. All that, and when Golf Digest recently released its list of “The Top 30 Nice Guys of the PGA Tour” — after polling players, caddies, media members, golf officials and industry insiders — Tony came in No. She was born in America and, like her parents, attended and played volleyball at BYU-Hawaii. But I’m committed to the ongoing journey of becoming a better ally of people in all their beautiful colors. The Finaus also competed on the Golf Channel’s “Big Break” in 2009, where Tony Finau finished second. Season highlighted by his first career victory (Puerto Rico Open) and nine top-25 finishes. Unlike last year’s monumental upset of Gonzaga here, there was no Marriott Center magic Monday night for BYU. Born in Salt Lake City, is of Tongan and Samoan descent. It was Ravena Finau who told her husband she wanted him to come up with something her Irish twins could do together that would keep them occupied and out of trouble in a place that had its share of gangs and temptations. Gipper was the original prodigy. © 2021 PGA TOUR, Inc | All Rights Reserved. Copyright © 2020 Deseret News Publishing Company. Tony Finau, of West High School, plays in the 4A State Golf State Championships at Wingpointe Golf Course on Oct. 9, 2006. I tell them where I’m from and I was literally sitting in their chairs and they look at me like I’m Superman and they can believe it because I look like them, I talk like them, I came from exactly where they came from. A former business associate is suing PGA Tour professional Tony Finau for approximately $16 million in a lawsuit filed in Utah last week. He started a tradition of wearing a green shirt in the final round on Sundays as a tribute to his mother. It aims to empower and inspire youth and their families to discover, develop, and achieve the best of their gifts and talents through the game of golf, educational funding, and core family values. He shows a three-minute clip that details his career and accomplishments accompanied by cool, inspiring music, then he talks to the kids. Tony Finau’s wife loves being a wife and mom! “I know she’s there, I know she’s following me,” he says. A year after that, with a coach who didn’t play golf (familiar ground for the Finaus), West High, Salt Lake City’s oldest high school, won its first state golf championship in 114 years. Tony Finau accepts the trophy on Sunday, July 8, 2006, after a win over Daniel Summerhays at the Utah State Amateur Tournament Sunday at Soldier Hollow Golf Course in Midway. Your dreams aren’t as far as you think.”. Don’t Quit. Tony Finau’s first major professional win is “Stonebrae Classic” in Web.com Tour in 20014. Tony Finau talks with swinging coach Boyd Summerhays as he prepares for the Web.com Tour Utah Championship at Willow Creek Country Club, Tuesday, July 8, 2014. The weather wouldn’t be as warm, but the cost of living was lower — and there was a tight-knit Tongan community there, many of whom the Finaus were either related to or shared the same LDS faith. 353.8k Followers, 594 Following, 504 Posts - See Instagram photos and videos from Tony Finau (@tonyfinaugolf) Averaged 11 rebounds per game as a senior. Tony Finau: Education . Missed the cut in his first two European Tour starts, at the KLM Open and the Scandinavian Masters. Tony Finau was born in Salt Lake City, Utah in 1989. Be Serious. Golfers Steele DeWald, left, and Tony Finau chat before the Deron Williams Celebrity Gala & Golf Weekend at Thanksgiving Point in Lehi on July 10, 2010. PGA golfer Tony Finau, right, and his father, Kelepi Finau, pose for a photo at Tony's home in Lehi on Tuesday, Feb. 6, 2018. Meanwhile, the other kids in Rose Park looked at the Finaus and scratched their heads. Yet another cousin, Jabari Parker, who grew up in Chicago, would wind up in the NBA. I have my first opportunity in 2018.”. 45 in the season-long competition. Tony Finau hits from a bunker to the third green during the final round of The American Express golf tournament on the Pete Dye Stadium Course at PGA West, Sunday, Jan. 24, 2021, in La Quinta, Calif. | Marcio Jose Sanchez, Associated Press Utahn Tony Finau went into the final round of The American Express […] Tony Finau believes a long-awaited return to the winner’s circle is getting closer after having to settle for a runner-up finish at Saudi International. Tony Finau gives some pointers to Grace Summerhays as they play a scramble on Saturday, June 13, 2015, at Nibley Park Golf Course in Salt Lake City. Tony Finau smiles after a birdie on the 18th hole hole of the North Course at Torrey Pines Golf Course during the first round of the Farmers Insurance Open golf tournament on Thursday, Jan. 25, 2018, in San Diego. Tony Finau’s first major professional win is “Stonebrae Classic” in Web.com Tour in 20014. The Finau Country Club was open for business. (Michael Brandy, Deseret News). “My dad was a genius really, he was an absolute genius.”, Kelepi the coach had three rules for his team of two, which he wrote on a sign he hung in the garage: 1. There wasn’t enough left over for a bucket of balls on the driving range, forget about greens fees. Collected six top-10 finishes in 25 starts through the Wyndham Championship, resulting in a third consecutive berth in the FedExCup Playoffs. What became the Finau brothers’ calling card — eye-popping drives — came later, a byproduct of that beginning. and Charlotte, N.C., respectively, was in contention the following week at the Nationwide Children's Hospital Championship. Homa made nine birdies and shrugged off a double bogey on the way to a 7-under 65 in the third round Saturday, joining Tony Finau and Si Woo Kim atop the leaderboard at 15-under 201. Please also read our Privacy Notice and Terms of Use, which became effective December 20, 2019. Gipper Finau, front, and Tony Finau are pictured on Tuesday Aug. 11, 2009. Finished second on Golf Channel's "Big Break Disney" in 2009. Sign up for the The story behind Tony Finau’s eye-catching custom Piretti putter By: Jonathan Wall December 4, 2020 Tony Finau's new putter is designed to help him cut down on missed putts to the left. Tony Finau gave himself another great chance to end his long wait for a second PGA Tour title as he earned a share of the third-round lead at The American Express in California. They were teammates on a coed volleyball team that traveled to tournaments around Southern California. Start your day with the top stories you missed while you were sleeping. Finished T47 at the BMW Championship at Conway Farms GC to end his season at No. Tony Finau, from Lehi, signs autographs after competing in the Web.com Tour Utah Championship at Willow Creek Country Club in Sandy on Thursday, July 10, 2014. Lehi's Tony Finau eyes a putt as he competes on Sunday, July 13, 2014, in the Web.com Utah Championship at Willow Creek Country Club in Sandy. “We hit thousands upon thousands of chips, maybe millions,” says Tony. One year ago, Tony Finau was just two shots off the lead of The American Express tournament after two rounds and staring at consecutive rounds on … Already this season he’s had two second-place finishes and has won more than $2 million. “I grew up with a lot of friends that were abused, who dealt with drugs, alcohol, gangs, single parents, no parents, so I know what it can be like. I looked at it and I’m like, man, maybe I can do that someday, maybe I can play in the Masters.”. Tony Finau watches his tee shot on the 16th hole during the third round of the Genesis Open golf tournament at Riviera Country Club on Saturday, Feb. 17, 2018, in the Pacific Palisades area of Los Angeles. I don’t think I’m going to play golf for a very long time.’”. Three, Tony’s mother. His real name is Milton Pouha Finau. Tony Finau reacts after a birdie on the 18th hole hole of the North Course at Torrey Pines Golf Course during the first round of the Farmers Insurance Open golf tournament on Thursday, Jan. 25, 2018, in San Diego. Here's the story of his unlikely journey to golf's grandest stage. He worked hard on every other tour. Didn’t they know football ran in their genes? 1 Gonzaga smothers BYU 82-71. How does Tony Finau’s body of work over first six years compare to Billy Casper’s, Johnny Miller’s? He won the "Utah State Amateur Championship" in 2006 as an amateur golfer. Tony Finau overcame a double bogey to shoot a 5-under-par 67 on Saturday and grab a share of the 54-hole lead at The American Express in La Quinta. 7 in the FedExCup standings, his second consecutive top-10 mark in the FedExCup. 1 of 4 Tony Finau watches his approach shot from the first fairway during the final round of The American Express golf tournament on the Pete Dye … Qualified for the FedExCup Playoffs for the fifth time in his fifth season and advanced to the TOUR Championship for the third consecutive season, finishing No. A year later, Gipper followed. JEDDAH: Viktor Hovland and Tony Finau are the latest top-ranked international golf stars to confirm their entry in the third edition of the Saudi International powered by … Just down the street were their cousins Haloti Ngata and Sione Pouha, who would make it to the NFL. But no way was he going to pass this up. Officially secured his 2014-15 PGA TOUR card for the first time at the conclusion of the Regular Season in late August at the WinCo Foods Portland Open as No. Was the highest-ranked player in the FedExCup without a victory on the season. “It was like a different spirit there, special,” he says. Milwaukee Bucks forward Jabari Parker walks up court during game against the Nuggets in Denver. “This whole golf thing was so left field for us, as Polynesians, but he had a lot of knowledge about sports in general,” says Tony. Thus instructed, Kelepi thought, well, all right, and got to work, figuring out how to do golf on the extreme cheap. But if, when it came to dissecting the golf swing, Kelepi Finau was no Butch Harmon, or even Earl Woods, what he was — after playing almost everything except golf — was a natural-born coach. Tony Finau was born in Salt Lake City, Utah in 1989.