Finau holds off Rahm for sixth PGA Tour win
Tony Finau with the Mexico Open trophy. Picture: PGA Tour
Tony Finau held off a final-round challenge from Jon Rahm to clinch his sixth career win and his fourth in the last 18 months in the Mexico Open at Vidanta.
Two strokes clear of the world number one and rookie Akshay Bhatia heading into the final round, Finau closed with a bogey-free, five-under 66 to win by three shots from the current Masters champion.
"Very happy just with the four rounds I was able to put together," Finau said. "And I knew today was going to be a tall task going against (Rahm) with the form that he's in. I was really put to the test and came out on top, which feels great."
The pair are close friends and play out of the same club in Arizona, but Finau gave Rahm nothing in the final round, cruising to the turn in three-under to lead by two from Brando Wu and by three from Rahm.
Wu would double-bogey the 10th, however, and eventually finish third after a 68 as Finau stretched his lead to four shots midway through the back nine.
In the end, Finau finished 24 under at Vidanta Vallarta, three strokes clear of Rahm to move to 11th in the world thanks to his fourth win in the last 18 months.
"It seems no matter how many shots you're ahead, you're just so focused on getting in the clubhouse to win the golf tournament," he said. "When I hit that third shot on 18, I was like, all right, I don't think I can screw this up now."
Finau won his first title in Puerto Rico in 2016 after a playoff, and after a five-year drought, he again needed a playoff to win the Northern Trust in 2021.
Since then, he's won four times by multiple shots.
"My mindset on Sundays, I think, has just changed," said Finau. "You never get comfortable with the lead. That's my nature anyway to be an aggressive player. I always have been that way, and so Sundays are starting to shape up better for me since I've been in contention, but I think I just have learned a lot."
Defending champion Rahm was gracious in defeat after missing the chance to win for the seventh time in his last 15 starts.
"So strong!"@TonyFinauGolf's son took his turn holding dad's trophy @MexicoOpenGolf. pic.twitter.com/OqBay18gPC
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) May 1, 2023
"Yeah, I mean, it's a great reminder that what you've done means absolutely nothing; you still have to go out there and do it," said the Spaniard, who, like Scottie Scheffler, is skipping this week's designated event, the Wells Fargo Championship at Quail Hollow.
"It's also good, so you don't think too much of yourself, right? Like obviously, I wanted to win, but it's a reminder that everybody out here is a great player, and Tony came out with a two-shot lead and played fantastic golf.
"I feel like had I been able to pressure him a little more, we would have seen more birdies from Tony.
"It's like I said, a great reminder of what I still need to do to be able to keep winning tournaments and if you ask me, that's almost a blessing in life, to know that the work is not really done. It's never done; the search is ever ongoing.
"The path, I believe Arnie said, the path to success is always under construction, and that couldn't be any more true."
On the LPGA Tour, Australia's Hannah Green emerged from a three-player playoff to win the JM Eagle LA Championship at Wilshire Country Club, her third LPGA event and her first since 2019
Two shots behind 54-hole leader Cheyenne Knight, she closed with a three-under 69, making a 25-footer for birdie at the last to tie with Xiyu Lin (67) and Aditi Ashok (67) on nine-under before beating Lin with a par on the second playoff hole.
On the PGA Tour Champions, New Zealander Steven Alker successfully defended the Insperity Invitational in Houston, carding a six-under 66 to win y four shots from Steve Stricker on 15-under par.
Darren Clarke tied for 23rd on level par after a 69, with Pádraig Harrington tied 33rd on three-over after a 74, and Paul McGinley tied 52nd on seven-over after a 73.
