Will Finau break thru and soar?

[jdowning111]

He's been oh so close lately....hard to believe he only has one win.....final rounds are killing him...what's everyone think?

[Philomathesq]

No.

[johngalt312]

Yes.

[BobMorris]

Doubtful

[Dpavs]

I consulted my guru and the answer I received is...

 

 

[Philomathesq]

Well played, and Go Blue!

Here are Finau’s scoring averages, per round, this season. Unless and until he can fix his final round scoring, he’s not likely to win.

[BNGL]

No. He should luck into one now and then, but he won’t ever dominate the way he’s talked about.

I feel I should elaborate on this, but I don’t know much about him really, don’t really wanna delve into stats either. I will say this though, if I’d take Matt Kuchar or Zach Johnson (at 30) over Tony Finau that tells me all I need to know.

I was actually thinking of this during coverage seeing sticks having a good run this week, but we all ponder about and anoint the next one way way to early. What about the next Charles Howell III? I was seriously thinking, “boy tony might be taking the torch for the next 10-12 years”

[dlygrisse]

He has no idea how to win. A breakthrough for him would be like 8 career wins. I mean it’s possible he has a good week and wins a PGA or something. Soaring won’t be an option.

[jonsnow]

I really like Tony & wish he would get over the hump & close one of these out. I don't know if you can learn how to be a finisher/closer or not. Seems like something you have to be born with.

[tannyhoban]

His putting won't let him.

[ATLgopher]

Soar....no

 

 

[StormE]

I hope so! He is my favorite tour player currently.

[Man_O_War]

sour now..for sure.. a fine player. doesn't seem to have that killer instinct. He can improve that though. One win could turn the tide

[nikeblades00]

He doesn't have a 'sunday pins' short game. However He bombs it long enough to make cuts easily and alot of top 10s and top 20s.

[Mcgeeno]

Love Tony.

 

But I've said before he gives me a Rickie Fowler vibe. Some guys just don't have the dog in them. Some guys would rather die than lose on Sunday.

 

He's happy making millions and he's satisfied with being good. Thats OK.

[Golfjack]

That's what I was thinking. Maybe it's not just nerves, but that he can't attack (or won't attack, I don't watch him to know). It seems counter intuitive as he's a long hitter of the ball and has more short clubs making it easier to attack. Perhaps he's just too conservative. It's not that's he is blowing up, he's just not playing a winning final round. Stats wise, his biggest weakness is his putting, which is ranked 98th. Also surprising is his shot gains off the tee only 29th, considering his length. Just noticed that through recent years at least, he's just not accurate off the tee, hitting only 55% of fairways. It prevents his driving from being elite. He's actually a very good approach player so perhaps the pins aren't the problem. It's that he puts himself out of position from the fairway to hit it close (though he gets 70% GIR).

[MattyO1984]

No.

 

He will definitely will again but soar, not a chance.

[NevinW]

A lot of players over time have struggled with closing and then they finally broke through and won frequently. I remember a period when people said Tom Watson couldn't close. I've watched Tony play in person and I'd say his primary problem IMO, is his putting stroke. It just doesn't look comfortable and appears a little awkward compared to other touring pros. It is often said that if you finished in the top 10, you had a legitimate chance to win the tournament. He has a lot of top 10s. He could continue to be an ATM machine or suddenly start winning. either wouldn't shock me.

[tbowles411]

He has all the talent in the world and I believe his swing is on point. His putting fails him down the stretch. It's almost like he's tightening up when it matters most. But then again, what do I know? I three putt like it's my job.

[Guest]

Looks like he gets into his own head.

 

He'll definitely have a solid career of high finishes but maybe winning a couple of smaller events can help his mentality out for some of the bigger tournaments when he's in contention.

[OrangeGravy]

Too much guilt playing on Sundays. If tournaments were Wednesday-Saturday, he'd be much better in final rounds

[oikos1]

It's his Sunday putting:

2019 PGA Tour SeasonPutts per Round - Round 4

Rank: 172nd

[nikeblades00]

It could also be the short back swing doesnt play well under pressure. I noticed late in the back 9 yesterday when he needed a birdy he missed the fairway when he double crossed it and hit into the trees. I see this often with him on sundays, and like weve said hes splitting fairways thursday-saturday.

[smashdn]

I appreciate stats but that is likely an anomaly as anything else. How many rounds is that? That is what two shots difference? That could be attributable to harder set-ups on Sunday or weather if it is only a few rounds.

 

Learning to win is a thing. He has to learn to win. Get a feel for when and where he can make his move, how to play with a lead, how to chase a lead, etc. He's young.

 

What is the fourth round scoring average for the whole field as compared to the first three rounds?

[double_d]

Based on prior performance, he will win when he has a 6 shot lead going into Sunday.

[DFS PFD]

I think the church would like to see him win on $unday

[shantanu1203]

I think he has too much going on in his head on Sundays - and that lets him down!

[Philomathesq]

I don't mean to be rude, but did you see the entire chart and do you understand the difference between raw numbers and rankings? The actual difference in strokes (raw numbers) between rounds is irrelevant; the ranking is what matters. His fourth round scoring average ranks 165th. You aren't going to win a lot when 164 other guys have a better scoring average on Sunday. Also, the 165th ranking in 4th round scoring is based on 12 rounds, so not a small sample size.

[munichop]

Tony seems to have what people in other fields get when they have professional exams to take- test anxiety. I know a lot of folks like that,. They fall short again and again even though they know the material. No question he is a different player on Sunday. And it is thru the bag. He didn’t birdie one par 5 yesterday despite hitting two irons into one of them. There are plenty of religious closers out there too so that is not his only issue.

If I could pick one thing though it is the putter. He putts like me on Sunday and that is not a good thing...

[farmer]

He needs to putt better, which means he needs to give himself more realistic chances for birdie, which then leads to the conclusion that he needs to drive it better.