Tony Finau facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Tony Finau
Finau in 2018
Personal information
Full name	Milton Pouha Finau
Nickname	Tony, Big Tone
Born	(1989-09-14) September 14, 1989 (age 35) Salt Lake City, Utah
Height	6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)
Weight	200 lb (91 kg; 14 st)
Nationality	United States
Residence	Scottsdale, Arizona
Spouse	Alayna Galea’i ​ (m. 2012)​
Children	5
Career
Turned professional	2007
Current tour(s)	PGA Tour European Tour
Former tour(s)	Web.com Tour PGA Tour Canada
Professional wins	9
Number of wins by tour
PGA Tour	6
Web.com Tour	1
Other	2
Best results in Major Championships
The Masters Tournament	T5: 2019
U.S. Open	T3: 2024
The Open Championship	3rd: 2019
PGA Championship	T4: 2020

Milton Pouha "Tony" Finau (born September 14, 1989) is an American professional golfer. He is known for his powerful swings and friendly personality. Tony plays on the PGA Tour, which is a top professional golf circuit.

Tony Finau's Early Life and Golf Start

Tony Finau was born in Salt Lake City, Utah, on September 14, 1989. He loved golf from a young age. In 2006, when he was just 16, he won the Utah State Amateur Championship. This was a big win for him. He beat another future PGA Tour player, Daniel Summerhays, in a long 36-hole match.

Tony Finau's Professional Golf Journey

Even though Tony had offers to play basketball in college, he decided to become a professional golfer at age 17. He started by playing in smaller golf tournaments called mini-tours. These included the Gateway Tour and the NGA Hooters Tour.

In 2009, Tony and his brother Gipper were on a TV show called The Big Break on the Golf Channel. Tony finished in second place on Big Break Disney Golf.

Getting to the PGA Tour

Tony played on the PGA Tour Canada in 2013. He did well, making the cut in seven out of eight tournaments. He then played in the Web.com Tour qualifying school in 2013. He finished third, which helped him get his Web.com Tour card for 2014.

In August 2014, Tony won his first big tournament at the Stonebrae Classic. He finished eighth in the regular season standings. This helped him earn his PGA Tour card for the 2014–15 season. This meant he could play against the best golfers in the world.

First PGA Tour Win

In March 2016, Tony won his first PGA Tour title at the Puerto Rico Open. He won in a sudden-death playoff against Steve Marino. A playoff is when players who are tied after the regular rounds play extra holes to decide the winner. Tony made a birdie on the third extra hole to win. This victory moved him into the top 25 in the FedEx Cup standings.

Major Tournament Success in 2018

Tony played in his first Masters in 2018. He finished tied for 10th place, which was a great achievement. This was even more impressive because he dislocated his ankle the day before the tournament. This happened during the fun Par-3 contest.

In June 2018, Tony finished fifth at the U.S. Open. This was his best finish in a major tournament at that time. He ended the 2018 PGA Tour season ranked sixth in the FedEx Cup standings. He earned over $5.6 million that season. He had 11 top-10 finishes, meaning he placed among the top ten players many times.

Playing for Team USA

In September 2018, Tony was chosen to play for the U.S. team in the 2018 Ryder Cup. This is a big team competition between the U.S. and Europe. The U.S. team lost to Europe that year. However, Tony played well, winning two of his three matches. He even beat Tommy Fleetwood, who had been playing very strongly.

Tony also played for the U.S. team in the 2019 Presidents Cup in Australia. The U.S. team won this competition. He was also part of the winning U.S. team at the 2021 Ryder Cup and the 2022 Presidents Cup. He also played in the winning 2024 Presidents Cup team.

Recent Wins and Achievements

In early 2021, Tony had an amazing streak of five weeks. He finished in the top four in all four tournaments he played. He tied for second at the Farmers Insurance Open and lost in a playoff at the Genesis Invitational.

Tony won the Northern Trust in August 2021. He beat Cameron Smith in a playoff. This was his second PGA Tour win and came after five years.

In July 2022, Tony won two tournaments in a row! He won the 3M Open and then the Rocket Mortgage Classic the very next week. These were his third and fourth PGA Tour victories.

Finau on the practice green at the 2024 Presidents Cup.

In November 2022, Tony won the Cadence Bank Houston Open. This was his third PGA Tour win of that year. In April 2023, he won the Mexico Open. This was his sixth career PGA Tour victory.

Tony Finau's Personal Life

Tony Finau has a unique background. He is the first person of Tongan and Samoan descent to play on the PGA Tour. His brother, Gipper, also played golf professionally for a while. Tony is also related to famous athletes like NBA basketball player Jabari Parker and former NFL football player Haloti Ngata.

Tony is a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He is married to Alayna Finau, and they have five children. Tony also runs the Tony Finau Foundation. This organization helps young people and their families in his community. Tony was featured in the sports documentary series Full Swing on Netflix, which came out in 2023.

Tony Finau's Major Championship Results

Tony Finau has played in many major golf championships. These are the most important tournaments in golf. He has done very well in them, often finishing in the top 10.

• Most consecutive cuts made – 8 (2017 Open – 2019 PGA)
• Longest streak of top-10s – 3 (twice)

Tony Finau's World Golf Championships Results

Tony Finau has also played in the World Golf Championships (WGC) events. These are special tournaments that bring together the best golfers from around the world. He has achieved good results in these events too.

¹Cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic
     Top 10      Did not play NT = No tournament
"T" = Tied

U.S. National Team Appearances

Tony Finau has represented the United States in several team golf events.

As an Amateur

• Junior Ryder Cup: 2004, 2006

As a Professional

• Ryder Cup: 2018, 2021 (winners)
• Presidents Cup: 2019 (winners), 2022 (winners), 2024 (winners)