All in all, Tony Finau’s first experience at the Open Championship was a positive one despite shooting his worst score of the week in the final round Sunday at Royal Troon Golf Club in Scotland.
Finau, who grew up in Salt Lake City and lives in Lehi, shot a final-round 74, which left him in a tie for 18th place at even-par 284. He had started the day in a tie for sixth place and started off nicely with a birdie at No. 1, but made three bogeys on the front nine to go with a birdie at No. 7.
On the back nine, he made bogeys at 11 and 12, before finishing birdie-double bogey-birdie on the final three holes. For Finau, it marked his third top-20 finish in a major after tying for 14th at last year’s U.S. Open and 10th at the PGA.
Finau had not played much links golf before this week, but enjoyed his experience, telling London’s Daily Telegraph, “The creativity and imagination you need for this course suit my game. I’m a very visual player and I’m able to use that out here.”
Another Utahn, Daniel Summerhays, moved up 14 spots into a tie for 59th place at 9-over-par 293 after shooting a 1-over-par 72 Sunday. The 32-year-old from Fruit Heights made three birdies, three bogeys and three pars on the front nine and then made eight pars on the incoming nine with a lone bogey at No. 12.