Finau’s Masters: Tony’s tournament top ten

Photo: Courtesy of Martin Magnemyr/Unsplash

AUGUSTA, Georgia. — Utahn Tony Finau tied for tenth at yesterday’s 85th Masters golf tournament. Hideki Matsuyama won the green jacket as the first Japanese golfer to accomplish that goal.

Finau, 31, born and raised in Salt Lake City, has had six top ten Professional Golf Association (PGA) finishes this season.

A rain delay in the third round of play provided an opportunity to take a phone call from friend and fellow famous athlete, football legend Tom Brady. According to ESPN, the seven-time Superbowl champion told Finau he was playing great and that he was watching.

Brady told Finau he was surprised play had stopped because in the NFL when it rains they don’t stop. Finau said, “Yeah, maybe we’re not as tough as you guys,” to which Brady replied, “No, that’s not the case.” Finau told ESPN, “We had a good laugh about that,” and that the phone call “was a pleasant surprise.”

A limited number of masked spectators were allowed at Augusta National. Last spring’s Masters was postponed due to COVID and  played in the fall. 

The other Utahn, Mike Wier, did not make the cut this year after gaining automatic participation derived from his winning the green jacket back in 2003. 

Matsuyams’s win fuels speculation as to whom may be on the short list of potential cauldron lighters at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.