Finau tops Marino to take Puerto Rico Open

RIO GRANDE, Puerto Rico — Tony Finau won the Puerto Rico Open on Sunday for his first P GA Tour title, beating Steve Marino with a birdie on the third hole of a playoff at windy Coco Beach.

The 26-year-old Finau won with his third straight birdie in the playoff on the par-5 18th, blasting out of the back bunker to 3 feet.

“I think I’m still a little bit overwhelmed,” Finau said. “It probably hasn’t all sunk in.”

Marino was just off the back edge of the green in two, but left his putt from the fringe 4½ short and missed his birdie try to the right.

“I finally played the hole like you’re supposed to,” Marino said. “I hit the fairway and then hit it on the back fringe. I didn’t think that putt was going to be that slow and then I just hit a poor putt on the second putt. Pretty disappointing, played really well.”

Finau and Marino each shot 2-under 70 to finish at 12-under 276. Marino birdied the 18th to tie Finau, and got into the playoff when Finau missed a 6-foot birdie putt.

Ian Poulter and Mexico’s Rodolfo Cazaubon finished a stroke out of the playoff.

Andres Romero (67), Abbotsford’s Nick Taylor (70) and Scott Brown (71) tied for fifth at 10 under. Puerto Rico’s Rafael Campos, the leader after each of the first two rounds, was another stroke back after a 72.

Taylor shot a 70 on Sunday. Graham DeLaet of Weyburn, S ask ., was tied for 11 that 8 under while Adam Svensson of Surrey shot a 2-under 286 to finish tied for 47th.

Finau and Marino each birdied the 18th on the first two playoff holes.

On the first extra hole, Marino got up-and-down from the left bunker, blasting to 8 feet. Finau pitched to a foot from left of the green. On the second, Marino hit a flop shot over the rightside bunker to 10 feet, and Finau pitched to 6 feet from in front of the green.

Marino is winless on the PGA Tour. He also lost in a playoff in the 2009 Colonial.