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Check out each week the unfiltered opinions of our writers and editors as they break down the hottest topics in sports, and join the conversation by tweeting to us @employee. This week we discuss the rise of Tony Finau, Justin Thomas’ career, summer excursions, and more.
1. Tony Finau proved his 2022 win was no fluke, as he won the Vedanta Mexico Open in a triple over John Rahm on Sunday. For years Finau was the guy full of talent who didn’t rack up enough wins, but now he’s got his first win of 2023 after winning three times last year and again in late 2021. What’s the biggest change with him over the past year and a half?
Jessica Marksbury, Senior Editor (@employee): I don’t think you can overestimate the value of trust. It’s something that recreational gamers can relate to. Finau was very close for a long time, and it kept falling short. Once he finally achieved this breakthrough, the gates were open. The fact that he took the lead in multiple rounds with a chaser like Ram makes Sunday’s win all the more impressive.
Sean Zack, Senior Editor (@employee): I think we overestimate and overuse confidence when it comes to many things, but this isn’t one of them. Before his winning streak, Tony’s skill set was amazing. His mentality was also incredible. He only needed to pair the two down the stretch once, and it would make it easy to keep doing it after that. Remember his quote from last year’s Rocket Mortgage Classic? “A winner is just a loser. Keep trying.” The year may have been quoted in 2022.
Dylan Diether, Senior Writer (@employee): What I appreciate most about this week’s win is his ability to maintain the lead with the world’s No. 1 (Ram, who doubles as Finau’s frequent sparring partner) breathing down his neck. Beating one of the weaker fields on the PGA Tour feels more legitimate when you’re beating a favorite tournament. Yes, there is still one more step for Finau to take on the game’s biggest action. But he gets a lot of credit for this nonetheless.
Jonathan Wall, Managing Editor, Equipment (@employee): I don’t think anything has changed. Some guys get close countless times and never seem to get close – then all of a sudden they click. The competition in the Tour has never been better, in my opinion, so you can’t simply make mistakes and expect things to close. I think Tony manages to make mistakes and realizes he doesn’t have to force things, especially when he’s up front. Tiger was the best at doing it, and I think Tony’s made its TW impression in Mexico.
2. Ram has dominated this year, with four wins and the second major title of his career, so how important is this win to Vino knowing that he outlasted Ram (buoyed by a two-stroke advantage to start the day) while playing the same final set?
Marksbury: It should feel huge to him. After the Ram’s record-breaking performance on the course on Saturday, it would be totally understandable to feel a little dismayed, even with the lead by two shots. But Finau kept the pedal to the metal. Bringing down the number one spot in the world is no easy feat. He should feel good about his high chances of going forward this year.
Zack: It definitely makes winning sweeter! I think Tony might want to pick up another bag big It happened rather than beating Ram and what ultimately was a very weak area, but we don’t need to analyze what that means. Ram is king now. Did you beat him especially while playing with him in the last set? You are baleen. That’s why Nick Taylor’s second solo in Phoenix was still so good for his confidence. He lost to Scheffler, however beats Ram is from the same group. He will remember it even as we forget.
Dither: It seems like I should have read question 2 before answering question 1, but yeah, that makes a huge difference. Finau theoretically sets up well anywhere, so when he’s in the mix in Oak Hill in a few weeks, this will be good to take advantage of.
wall: I think it will be massive when you are able to beat the human cheat code and win 3. The way Rahm was playing, it’s easy to get caught looking and worrying about when – not if – he’s going to catch you. Tony has been around long enough to know his game is good enough to win. I hate trying to predict a round win as a stepping stone to major success, but I can definitely see this kind of W clamping hardware at Oak Hill.
3. Justin Thomas turned 30 on Saturday, and Shawn Zack profiled the tour star and delved into his career development and drive to accomplish more in the latest issue of GOLF Magazine (and online here). “Having two majors is great,” Thomas once said, “but I want five.” “fifteen [career] Winning is cool, but I want 30. I don’t know if that’s good or bad, but that’s the reality.” Well, since JT brought it up (sort of), how many wins and majors do you see him getting by the time he’s 40 ?
Marksbury: I actually sent Sean a message to tell him how much I enjoyed reading that piece. JT is such an interesting player! I loved learning about the lofty goals he set for himself. But, given how hard it is to win there, I think another major and 5-7 regular season titles over the next decade would be a huge but feasible addition to an already stellar career.
Zack: there One Something that prevents him from getting more than 15 and 2 at the moment. It’s his situation. But I think that flat-stick roller coaster will soon die down and we’ll see him on a stretch of, say, five wins in three years. I think he’s got two more majors at 40, and if the ranking gets really good, give him the third. It only focuses uniquely on tallying these aggregates. Oh, he also has, what, the 3 best tote bags? This continues to drive dividends that we can’t see yet.
Dither: Eck, I hate that we cut Thomas’ upcoming contract down to double digits – and that sounds like the same kind of binary decision-making that’s already plaguing him. But maybe that’s the point: If JT measures himself that way, why don’t we? JT’s major currency futures over/under should be set at 1.5. Marksbury’s gone and Zack’s gone. I will join him there with the belief that his status will be back in the light for a few first class years. At the age of 40, he is the owner of 24 PGA Tour wins and four majors. Solid distances.
wall: I mentioned it in my first answer, but I think the competition makes it almost impossible to dominate the round. I think JT is still one of the best talents on the tour, but as he creeps closer to 40, he’ll lean more on his short game and put new launchers into the arena. And as Sean already mentioned, the racket has been a huge question mark lately. If he can get hot flatsticks, I think two majors and six win rounds is very possible.
4. The PGA Tour is merging the PGA Tour Latinoamerica and PGA Tour Canada to form the PGA Tour Americas, which will include an enhanced schedule and hand out 10 Korn Ferry Tour cards at the end of the season. Previously, these rounds played a lighter schedule each dealing out five Korn Ferry Tour cards. Needed change? good change? what do you think?
Marksbury: I like the idea of uniformity. Putting both groups of players on the same schedule and training sessions seems like a good move.
Zack: It’s a no brainer. simplified. I know players in the lower tiers of professional golf have not been pleased with the stop-and-go nature of the Canadian Tour in the past few years, but this will make it very clear. Want at KFT? This is your way. It is one of the only paths. But it’s a good idea! fair. good luck.
Dither: It’s a little different. Changes the dynamics some. And it certainly doesn’t look like these guys are getting more chances as a result. But this change legalizes the two tours – Canada and Latin America – as Double-A for professional golf. This is useful. Also, players who play well can go to the last stage of Q-school and play their way to the big round just like that! Better to go down.
wall: I will agree with Dylan that he spells out the designation for Latin America and Canada. I’ve always wondered where they sit in the putt order, so this certainly makes it easier to call them Double-A for golf pros. Clarity and a clear path to the big tour, I think, is much needed. Men plying their trade in Latin America and Canada spend a lot on traveling to pursue their dream. Giving them a clean roadmap for promotion makes the dream more achievable—provided they back off crazily.
5. GOLF unveiled a summer tour package last week, naming some of our favorite resorts, courses, and more to keep going over the next few months. Quick, what’s your favorite summer golf retreat you’ve ever been to and why? (Bonus points if it’s an under-the-radar spot your readers may not be aware of.)
Marksbury: I can only name two! First off, since it’s so fresh in my mind, I have to give a shout out to Terranea in Palos Verdes, California. I visited for spring break with my family, and it was absolutely amazing. The golf, lodging, dining, setting, activities, everything is top notch. I will be writing about the experience soon, but I can’t wait to go back. One of my first visits to the premium course as a child was Edgewood in Lake Tahoe. I was only 11 years old, but I still remember the sense of awe I felt to this day. It’s been so long since I’ve been back, but I can’t wait to plan a Tahoe trip with my kids one day so they can experience it too.
Zack: It’s not exactly authentic, but Michigan’s Upper Peninsula has some of the best value and variety of courses you’ll find in the entire country. I’m still fascinated by the gray walls. Sage Valley is wonderful. You’ll want to play Sweetgrass twice. Then there’s Timberstone – Jungle Golf. Need to go back there soon.
Dither: I grew up going to visit my grandparents in Maine for two weeks every summer, so I still associate northern Maine with summer paradise. And if you make your way up the Maine coast—as we did a couple of years ago—there’s golf in abundance. Cape Arundel in Kennebunkport, just south of Portland. Belgrade Lakes, inland but not much else. Booth Bay Harbor, more luxurious and meticulously maintained but not without Maine charm. Then Kibo Valley near the gates of Acadia National Park! I’m looking for tees at the moment I finish this entry.
wall: I spent every summer going to Hilton Head with my parents and it’s honestly one of my favorite memories growing up. We stayed across the street from Harbortown and played pretty much any course where we could secure a tee time. It’s hard to beat a morning tee time on one of the island’s many courses, followed by an afternoon at the beach.