Detroit — Before each season, Tony Finau writes down his goals.
Going into 2021-22, Finau had two that stood out – winning multiple events and winning the FedExCup Championship.
One was ticked off at the Detroit Golf Club on Sunday, and the second suddenly seems much more accessible than it did a few weeks ago.
Finau, the 16th player in the world entering the week, shot a 5-under 67 to win the Rocket Mortgage Classic at 26 under, a game-high score in Game 4 of the tournament. It was his second win in a row after winning last week’s 3M Open near Minneapolis, and with one week remaining in the regular season he moved up to seventh in the FedExCup standings with at least a chance to run for the season-ending championship and the top prize of $18 million.
Not bad for a guy who had built a reputation as a player who couldn’t close the deal.
“I’ve put myself in situations to win before, I haven’t been able to do that,” Finau said. “But I am very optimistic. I’ve always been like that. I’ve always had hope and faith that things will work out if I keep working hard and dedicating myself.
“But I’m proud of how I’ve fought through adversity throughout my career and now I’m a back-to-back champion. That’s what happens. They say a winner is just a loser who keeps trying, and it’s me against a T. How many times do I lose?
“But one thing I won’t do is give up and I’m only here as a winner because I chose not to give up and keep going.”
Finau proved himself last week, rallying from a five-stroke deficit in the final round before posting a near-flawless week at Detroit Golf Club. His one and only 72-hole bogey came on Sunday at No 11, but birdies on two of the next three holes gave him all the cushion he needed as he finished five clear of Taylor Pendrith, Patrick Cantlay and Cameron Young, who were all tied. for second at 21 sous.
“When I got to tee 14, my goal was to birdie 14 and 17,” Finau said. “If I could do that, I knew I was going to win the golf tournament and I could do it. I was just proud of how I finished. I thought that this week I was able to prove myself the champion that I feel myself to be.
Finau’s 26-under performance was better than Nate Lashley, who shot 25 under as the wire-to-wire winner of the inaugural Rocket Mortgage Classic in 2019.
It didn’t take long to determine who was the fan favorite on Sunday as Finau descended the first fairway, the chants of “Tony, Tony” already beginning at the start of the final round as he was paired with Pendrith, who shared the 54-hole lead with Finau at 21 under.
Finau, 32, barely disappointed the big galleries on Sunday, taking a two-stroke lead over Pendrith at the corner before pulling away on the back nine and resisting a late push from Cantlay and Young.
“The margin of victory is five at the end of the 72 holes, but it wasn’t like that,” Finau said. “It was finally like that on the 18th green, but it was much closer than that before the 18th hole.”
Pendrith entered the final round tied with Finau at the top of the standings, but an early bogey on the No. 2 led to a par 36 on the front nine and a two-stroke deficit at the turn. Pendrith then bogeyed the par-4 12th while Finau birdied, providing a two-shot swing and four-shot pad for Finau.
It was a gap that Pendrith, seeking his first Tour win, could never close. The 31-year-old Canadian had his worst round of the week, shooting par 72 on a stubborn putter. Still, second place was Pendrith’s best and follows back-to-back top-15 finishes as he prepares for FedExCup playoffs and, perhaps, a place with the international team in the Cup of Nations. presidents.
“It was tough,” Pendrith admitted of playing in the final group. “I couldn’t really get things going and I didn’t get off to the best start like I’ve had the last three days, but I hung on. In the middle of the round I hit some really nice iron shots and couldn’t knock anything down. I left a lot of putts short and obviously those don’t have a chance to go in. It was tough, I just kinda lost my feel for the speed of my putts.
“But overall, obviously it’s been a good week. This is my best finish ever. It’s fun to play in a final group. Tony played very well, so hats off to him.
Cantlay, 30, the defending FedExCup champion, was poised to pressure the leaders in Saturday’s third round before faltering at the finish, playing the final five holes to 1 over. On Sunday, he got off to a fast start, shooting 5 under the front nine to reach 20 under and less than three strokes from the lead.
A bogey at No. 12 was a backhand but an eagle 3 on the par-5 15 brought it within three of Finau but he never got close as he bogeyed No. 18 to shoot a second straight 66 as he prepares to defend his Cup title in the final three events of the season.
“I’ve been playing well all week, really solid and that’s what I have to keep doing, just keep knocking on the door,” Cantlay said. “I have three big tournaments to close the season. … I just need to warm up with the putter and see if I can get up close to the competition over the last three weeks and I should be in a good position.
Young, 25, continues to knock on the door of his first Tour win, earning his fourth top-five finish in his last eight events, a run that included a tie for third at the PGA Championship and a second-place finish at The Open Championship.
“I would be lying if I said it was easy to just watch other people win,” Young admitted. “Obviously today Tony beat us all from afar, but it’s not fun to get this close so often and not get any. I got closer to some of them than others, of course. I lost by one a few times and lost by four, five a few times.
“Overall I think it’s a good thing, it proves that I can at least get going. Yeah, I think overall it’s a good thing, but definitely a little frustrating that I haven’t won one yet.
Young’s time is clearly coming as Pendrith continues to grind and Cantlay prepares to defend his title.
For now, though, it’s Finau’s world, and he soaks it all up.
“I think I’ve been quoted many times before, one week can change your life,” said Finau, now a four-time PGA Tour winner. “I guess when you look at mine, the consecutive weeks have now changed my life and that’s a great feeling.”
mcharboneau@detroitnews.com
Twitter: @mattcharboneau