LAS VEGAS – You’ll forgive Tony Finau’s slow start this week at the Shriners.
It’s taken him a few days get back on Pacific Time.
With jet lag behind him, Fianu went out early Saturday and carded seven birdies and an eagle for a career-best 9-under 62, flying into a tie for the third-round lead at the Shirners Hospitals for Children Open, finishing before the final groups had started.
Finau is fresh off consecutive European Tour starts at the BMW PGA and Alfred Dunhill Links. He got back to his home in Utah this past Sunday around 11 p.m. courtesy a private flight, compliments of his friend, amateur partner at the Dunhill, and sponsor, Ryan Smith.
Nonetheless, “The jet lag was real coming back to the States after the last couple weeks,” he said. “Usually coming back to the time zone that I'm used to is a little easier than going over there, but my body must have got used to that time because I feel like I was a bit in a daze the last couple days.”
After this week in Summerlin, he’ll take two weeks off before heading back overseas, this time to Asia, for starts at the Zozo and WGC-HSBC Championships.
And then he’s hoping for yet another trip to yet another hemisphere this December. A captain’s pick for last year’s Ryder Cup team, Finau is once again striving to be a late addition to this year’s Presidents Cup, after finishing ninth on the U.S. points list, one spot out of automatic qualifying.
He’s confident Captain Tiger Woods is watching and knows what he needs to do.
“I haven't played my way on yet, and the only thing I can do is play some good golf in the fall and see what happens,” he said.
“It would be hard to win a golf tournament in the fall, and it would be hard to not get picked, I feel.”