Golfer Finau seeks his finest hour in Texas.
American gets a grip with first-round lead
LOS ANGELES: Tony Finau set the firstround pace at the Charles Schawb Challenge, reaping the rewards from a change of putting grip to card a blistering six-under 64 and claim the lead at Colonial Country Club in Texas.
The world No. 15 took a one-shot lead after posting seven birdies and one bogey as he chases only his second PGA Tour victory.
Finau, who managed a fifth place finish in the Masters last month but struggled in the PGA Championship, finishing tied in 64th, started slowly before making back-to-back birdies on the third and fourth holes.
His opening birdie on the third came after he rolled in a 19-foot putt, and he backed it up on the par-three fourth by sticking his tee shot to within three feet for a simple tap-in.
A bogey on the fifth threatened to check Finau’s momentum, but he responded with back-to-back birdies on the 7th and 8th holes to reach the turn at three under.
A hattrick of birdies on the 11th, 12th and 13th saw Finau vault up the leaderboard. Once again, the 29-year-old relied on a red-hot putter to pick up shots, draining putts of 24 feet and 26 feet to bag his final two birdies of the day.
Finau, who also saved a par by making a 30-foot putt during his round, later revealed he had changed his putting grip after a disappointing showing in the PGA last week.
“I haven’t been putting great I feel like, and standing over the ball the most important thing is, ‘Do you feel like you’re going to make the putt or not?,’” Finau said. — AFP