Tony Finau’s heartfelt 3M win at the 11th hour after Scott Piercy’s lead evaporates

The 3M PGA title was Scott Piercy’s to win, sitting on top of the leaderboard with 20 under at outset of the final day, until Finau surged on the back nine to steal the win.

Scott Piercy looked like he had the 3M title wrapped up, skillfully playing through a hurt foot and having handled rain delays the day before. All the contenders were chasing the Last Vegas-native, who had a four-stroke lead.

Until he didn’t. Whether his foot was still bothering him (probably) or it was the nerves striking the 43-year-old, disaster struck on the back nine. In reality, gas started to leave the tank at the 8th hole, where Scott Piercy put his first bogey for the day. It was a downward spiral after that, with the triple bogey on the 14th exacerbating a rapidly declining performance. Two birdies on the back nine couldn’t save the derailment but managed to elevate the American golfer to a Top 4 finish, tied with James Hahn and Tom Hoge.

While Piercy’s game left him, Tony Finau capitalized, catapulting to the top of the leaderboard with a magical five strokes on the final day, finishing at 17 under 267. Finau’s dazzled with a confident surge up the leaderboard, with a 31-foot putt on the 15th just one sparkling example. Three birdies in a row later and the 3M title was all but his to lose.

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He bogeyed on the 18th hole, but by that point, the title was a foregone conclusion and he didn’t need the par save to clinch the title. A three-foot putt later and he was warmly embraced by his family.

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“I love my family. I love my mom. I miss her,” Finau said in an emotional interview afterwards on TV, remembering his mother who had died in a car accident in 2011. “It is so special just to have my family here with me and to celebrate this win with me. They mean everything to me. … There have been a lot of people who have got me to this point, and it would be selfish not to thank so many people. But my parents and my wife are people that have supported me since day one, and this one is for them.”

It wasn’t just the birdies that impressed, it was also the way he saved par from the water’s edge on the 9th the day before, to keep himself in contention.

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The 3M win is Finau’s hat trick PGA title but also catapults him to 17th place in the FedEx Cup race.