USA TODAY International Edition
Finau runs away with win in Houston Open
Tony Finau came into the Cadence Bank Houston Open off a missed cut last week in Mexico in his first start of the 2022- 23 PGA Tour season. He said he didn’t take any time off and continued to practice to knock off rust in an effort to bounce back.
Did he ever find his form. Finau led or co- led after every round and kept distance from the field during the final round Sunday at Memorial Park Golf Course. Finau captured the fifth PGA Tour title, finishing at 16 under and winning by four strokes.
After winning only once in his first 188 starts on Tour, Finau has now won four times in his past 30 starts and three times in his past seven.
“In a position to win a tournament, you want to know what you’ve got to do,” Finau said of trying to close. “It was different nerves, I’ve never been in that position before where I was that far in front. I mean, I could get used to that, that’s a nice feeling to have. But I tried to just stay present and know that there’s still a lot of golf to be played, and I thought I did a pretty good job of that.”
There was never really a question as to whether Finau was going to win, moreover by how much. After going out in even- par on his first nine holes, he proceeded to go 5 under on his second nine during the first round to tie the lead. Then, he blitzed the field with an 8- under 62 to take a four- shot lead at the halfway point.
In the race to see who’d be runner- up, Tyson Alexander bested Ben Taylor by one with a 33- foot birdie putt on No. 18.