The 2020-21 PGA Tour season has proven to be a great opportunity for golfers to end winless streaks. Tony Finau is looking to join the crowd.
Already this season, Stewart Cink (11 years), Martin Laird and Brian Gay (seven years), Hudson Swafford and Sergio Garcia (three years) all terminated extended winless streaks.
On Friday, Finau shot a second-round 66 to tie for the lead at 9 under after 36 holes at the Mayakoba Golf Classic, the final Tour event in the calendar year 2020.
“Anytime you have length, you have a little bit of an advantage,” said the long-hitting Finau after his round at El Camaleon Golf Club in Playa del Carmen, Mexico, a par-71 course playing 7,071 yards this week. “This golf course, you don’t have to have length. It’s not a long golf course. You have to hit it in the fairway. I seem to have the right combo for the golf course this week. Hopefully that continues, with 36 to go.”
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He last won in 2016 at the Puerto Rico Open. It remains his lone Tour victory. Finau was close two other times. In 2019, he lost to Xander Schauffele in a playoff at the WGC-HSBC Champions. In February, he led by two late at the Waste Management Phoenix Open before falling in a playoff to Webb Simpson.
According to Justin Ray of the 15th Club, Finau is tied with Jim Furyk and Matt Kuchar for posting the most top-10 finishes without a win over the last four years.
Finau is in a good spot to get back in the winner’s circle this week. He started on the 10th hole on Friday and made three birdies on each side before making a bogey on his final hole.
“When you’re scoring well, it’s always a good feeling,” he said.
MAYAKOBA: Scores | Photo gallery | Tee times, TV info
Tied with Finau for the clubhouse lead after the early group is Tom Hoge, who shot a 4-under 67 in the second round. Hoge has yet to win in 165 career starts on Tour.
“More than anything for me, I’ve gotten the ball in play off the tee,” Hoge said on Friday. “I’ve struggled with that here in the past, so that was kind of my focus this year. There’s some tight holes out there and I’ve tried to steer it a little bit in the past too much. I’ve just tried to go out and make a confident swing each tee shot.”
Russell Knox, who like Finau hasn’t won since 2016, had the solo lead after the first day and is a shot back after bogeying the 18th to posting a second-round 69.
Weather has been part of the story this week. Friday’s round was delayed by one hour.
The third round is set for Saturday with Golf Channel’s live coverage starting at 2 p.m. ET.
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