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THE GREENBRIER CLASSIC

July 3, 2018

Tony Finau

White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia

JOHN BUSH: Okay, we'll get started. We'd like to welcome Tony Finau in to A Military Tribute at The Greenbrier. Tony is making his third start this event. He tied for 7th last year, and tied for 13th in 2015. So, Tony, obviously, some really good results here. Just comment on why you love this place and this golf course?

TONY FINAU: Yeah, thanks. Thanks for having me. It's a great area. I really enjoy being here. The Greenbrier Resort is fantastic, and it's got a great vibe to it, kind of like an old-school vibe. The golf course is really nice. And I just really enjoy being here. I think the area is really cool and quite a bit different than where I grew up, and I think I kind of like that.

So a mixture of the golf course and just the people and the area, I think, are the reasons why I really just enjoy being here.

JOHN BUSH: You've been incredibly consistent this year. You've had 12 top 25 finishes in 19 starts, including two runner up finishes. Just comment a little bit on the season up to this point, if you can.

TONY FINAU: Yeah, it's been a great season for me. Really solid season, and my best season thus far. I've played some really nice golf and I've learned a lot about myself both mentally and physically. I've been working really hard on my game, and I think it's starting to show this year. I've done a lot of great work with my coach Boyd Summerhays, and not only on the physical part of my game, but the mental as well, and I think it's starting to show and show in some big events.

Coming off a nice finish at the U.S. Open, that was a lot of fun for me to be in the mix. You always dream to be in a position like that coming down the stretch in a big tournament, to have a chance to win, and I gave myself an outside chance to win with a few holes to go, which was really fun for me and really cool. So coming off that experience, I feel ready to compete, not only this week, but for the rest of the season, and I think it's going to give me some good confidence going into the rest of our season.

JOHN BUSH: Speaking of the rest of the season. You're currently number 11 in the FedExCup standings, the playoffs are looming. Just comment a little bit about the position that you're in, which is a really good position, and also hoping to get to the TOUR Championship?

TONY FINAU: Yeah, for sure. My experience last year getting to the TOUR Championship, going into the BMW, I was on the outside looking in, and I was able to play my way into the TOUR Championship. I'd like to be on the inside looking out this year, and I think I've played my way to be in that position. If I can just continue to do the things that I'm doing, so...

I like the position I'm in. It's the best position I've been in in my career as far as the FedExCup goes. Becoming the FedExCup champion or having that chance is something that I wanted after I experienced the TOUR Championship last year. Just giving myself a chance to win the cup. So I've been able to do that with my play so far this year, and just hope to continue to do that and give myself a chance to win the FedExCup come the TOUR Championship.

Q. You mentioned your confidence factor of how you played this year, and you've never had a round that was par or over at this particular course. Is that sort of the perfect storm for you this week, and how confident are you in this week particularly?
TONY FINAU: Yeah, I feel good about this week. I like the golf course a lot. It's actually a stat I didn't know. I didn't know I've never shot over par here. So I enjoy the golf course, and I look forward to the week, coming off a couple weeks off, I feel fresh mentally and physically. You know, it was nice the last time I teed it up and being in contention and playing well in a big event.

So I look forward to the week. I'll approach it like I do any week. Just take care of the things I can today, and make sure my body and mind are ready for the week. Again, I feel really fresh, which is great, coming to a golf course that I really enjoy. I've had some good finishes.

Q. How do you prepare for these par-3s at this golf course? They play particularly difficult.
TONY FINAU: Yeah, I haven't put a lot of thought into the golf course yet. I got here last night and just kind of rolled in. This is the first place I stopped to talk to you guys. So I haven't put a lot of thought yet into the golf course. But I have done my work the last couple weeks being home, and just being prepared in all facets of my game.

The par-3s, I think, are a huge part of this golf course. You've got to play them well. And if my memory serves right, I played them pretty well.

So I think length is a big deal here. Bubba has been a past champion here, and there's been some good players that have won. But I think length has been a big part for me. Anytime you can hit a shorter iron in than most guys on the par-3s, I think it's an advantage. So hopefully I can take advantage of that playing the par-3s this week.

Q. What part of your game is working now compared to when you won Puerto Rico a couple years ago? What have you improved on?
TONY FINAU: Yeah, I've improved on putting the most, since I've won in Puerto Rico, and just in the last couple seasons. My coach and I, we switched to putting -- I putted crossed hand for my first three seasons on TOUR, and at the end of last season, right before the TOUR Championship, the week before the BMW we had a week off. I knew something needed to change, whether that was the actual putter, my grip, something had to change. Maybe the putter grip, there was just something that had to change.

So we changed from putting cross hand, which was what I was doing for about six years to putting conventionally. I think it's been a huge part and transition in my game. My putting has improved trauma dramatically from that time until now.

You know, I haven't putted conventionally even for a year yet. But I believe it's the way I was meant to putt. I feel a lot more comfortable putting that way, and putting has definitely been the biggest part, I think, in just my success in the last couple seasons. So hopefully that can shine through the rest of the season.

Q. What kind of expectation did you put on yourself after your victory, and have you lived up to that expectation? Are you surprised by how you've played this year or is this what you expect to do?
TONY FINAU: Yeah, I expected to play well. As far as living up to the expectation, you know, I think I look at it a little differently. After I won, it almost kind of takes pressure off myself. I've done it before. Just keep doing what you're doing, and it will continue to happen. It has been a couple seasons, and I feel like I'm ready to do it again. You know, if I'm being honest.

But it's a process, being a multiple-time winner on TOUR is a big deal, and I look forward to when that time comes again. I have a lot of faith and a lot of hope that it's not a matter of if, just when, and hopefully that time is soon.

Q. You posted about having a few weeks off.
TONY FINAU: Yeah.

Q. And you said it was an unforgettable. What was the best part about the two weeks?
TONY FINAU: Yeah, thanks for asking that. It was a crazy couple weeks that I've been home. There was a lot that went on. She's referring to an Instagram post I just posted yesterday or late last night. I had weddings that I attended and a reunion that I was actually a president of. If you guys didn't know, we have that type of thing, and I was designated as the president.

So I would have to say the family reunion, we went on a three-day trip, pretty much into the middle of nowhere, and we had about 120 family members attend, which was a lot of fun. Just getting to bond with my family and enjoy time with them was -- man, it was so much fun. We went to the lake, fishing was involved, you know, eating pig, which is a big part of our culture. We enjoy that. So we definitely had that going on. A lot of great food, a lot of great dancing. So I'd have to say the three days that I spent with my family at the family reunion was probably the best part.

Q. Did they ask you to touch your clubs or take you on in any way?
TONY FINAU: Say that again.

Q. Did they challenge you in any way with the golf clubs?
TONY FINAU: No, there was no golf involved in the three days. My family's extremely supportive, which is really nice. There was a golf course there, and I did have a tee time for our family, but there were so many other things that we did, and we had a lot of kids that were probably underage to be on a golf course, so I decided to just bag that.

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