SANDY — Even though he almost won, and probably should have won, the Golf Channel's Big Break Disney last year, Tony Finau is still looking for the break that will jumpstart his professional golf career.
The former Rose Park and now Lehi 20-year-old is hoping the exemption he received Monday to play in the Nationwide Tour's Utah Championship in September at Willow Creek Country Club will be that chance.
"I can't wait for this opportunity," Finau said. "I really need this opportunity."
Tournament officials gave their other at-large sponsor exemption to Sam Saunders, grandson of golf legend Arnold Palmer.
"We always try to look locally first," tournament director Mike Smith said, even though Saunders resides in Florida. But officials believe he will generate interest in the event.
In total, 86 golfers applied for the two exemptions. This is the third time that one of them was given to Finau. Former BYU golfer Clay Ogden received an exemption the past two years and was given strong consideration again this year. Now, Ogden and Utah's other aspiring professionals will have to qualify through other means.
Should Saunders become exempt another way before the tournament field is set, such as finishing in the Top 25 the week prior or by winning an event before September, his spot would again become open. Officials do have two more exemptions to offer, but those must go to a member of the PGA Tour, the Nationwide Tour, or Champions Tour. Last year one of those spots went to former BYU star and current TV golf analyst Bobby Clampett.
The Utah Championship, sponsored by the Utah Sports Commission, will be held Sept. 9-12 and will have a total purse of $550,000. Because it's being held the same week as the BMW Championship, a PGA Tour playoff tournament in which only 70 players qualify, the Utah Championship should get several entries from regular tour players who fail to advance to the BMW event.
Rich Beem, winner of the 2002 PGA Championship, has already given notice that he'll be playing in Utah.
"These players really are the future stars of the PGA Tour," Smith said.
Finau, who has been working with legendary instructor David Leadbetter, has been playing well in recent events on the Golden Gate Tour and plans to compete in several upcoming Monday qualifiers for the PGA Tour and Nationwide Tour.
"I've been playing well for a while now, and I'm just waiting to get my opportunity," Finau said.
He admits that turning professional following his senior year in high school has been more challenging than he expected, but feels he's finally making the correct adjustments.
"Sometimes I've felt like I needed to go backwards just to go forward," he said.
Saunders, who left Clemson early to pursue his professional career, is playing in his seventh PGA Tour event this week at Greenbrier. His only other Nationwide event was the Chiquita Classic, where he failed to make the cut.
So would Saunders be pursuing a career in golf if Palmer were not his grandfather?
"Absolutely, I think so," Saunders said in an interview from Florida. "I played all the other sports growing up, I was really into basketball. But, I think somehow I would have found my way into golf. I love it and I just play every day. I can't get enough of it."
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