Tony Finau has recaptured some of his past form at the Canadian Open.
The six-time PGA Tour winner has frankly been poor for a few seasons now. He’s fallen to 111th in the Official World Golf Rankings, hasn’t won since 2024, and he didn’t qualify for the first three major championships in 2026.
He’s showing some signs of life at TPC Toronto, however. Finau is one shot back of the lead through Thursday play after recording an opening round 65.
But despite the positive signs for Finau, he said that “weird stuff” was happening during his opening round that he was forced to overcome.
The ‘weird stuff’ that happened to Tony Finau at the Canadian Open
Finau scored well at the Canadian Open, but his first round wasn’t without its struggles. He was battling his wedges all day. He made two bogeys with a wedge in hand in his opening four holes, but rallied to give himself a chance through 18 holes.
Speaking after his round, he was asked about the eight birdies he had on the day, and Finau said, “Yeah, it’s always nice to make birdies. I think sometimes when you make bogeys like I did, you know those are just rare.
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“I was making bogeys from the middle of the fairway and with wedges in my hands, and I just knew it was just weird stuff kind of happening. I was still trying to get used to the greens, how soft they were. I spun a couple off the green.
“So it was more spin control than anything. But I knew if I just kept hitting fairways I was going to keep giving myself looks, and so I think my patience just kind of paid off.”
He did this under immense pressure, as this week’s Canadian Open is a golden opportunity for Finau.
Why the Canadian Open is especially important for Tony Finau’s season
Finau has failed to qualify for The Masters, the PGA Championship, and the US Open so far this year, and said in a recent interview that he’s determined not to make it 0-4 at The Open Championship.
If he wants to qualify for a major this year, this is his opportunity. A top three at the Canadian Open will earn Finau a place at this year’s Open Championship at Royal Birkdale.
This is no easy task, as the top of this field features an incredibly bunched leaderboard. Finau is in T7 despite being one shot back of the lead. With Brooks Koepka ahead of him and Tommy Fleetwood a few shots behind, he’s going to have to compete against some serious talent to secure a top-three finish.
With a spot at The Open on the line, this could be the most important week of the year for Finau.
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