Facebook Twitter

U.S. Open golf: Tony Finau misses cut, bowing out early for only the second time in last 16 majors

Too many wayward drives leave Finau at 8-over through 36 holes at Torrey Pines Golf Club near San Diego

SHARE U.S. Open golf: Tony Finau misses cut, bowing out early for only the second time in last 16 majors
AP21168663692391.jpg

Tony Finau chips onto the fifth green during the first round of the U.S. Open Golf Championship, Thursday, June 17, 2021, at Torrey Pines Golf Course in San Diego.

Jae C. Hong, Associated Press

For only the second time in his last 16 majors, Utah’s Tony Finau has failed to make the cut.

Finau, the former Salt Lake City and Lehi resident, followed Thursday’s disappointing opening round with an even worse performance on Friday and didn’t come close to playing on the weekend at the U.S. Open.

Finau shot a 5-over 76 on Friday to go with Thursday’s 74 and finished at 8-over, four shots off the cut line.

Finau last missed a cut in a major at the 2019 U.S. Open at Pebble Beach Golf Links in Monterrey, California.

On Friday, Finau started on the No. 10 tee and made four bogeys on his first nine holes. After a string of pars, he made another bogey on the par-4 fourth hole to essentially take himself out of contention to make the cut.

His first birdie came on the No. 5 hole, his 14th.

Finau entered the tournament ranked No. 14 in the Official World Golf Ranking. Expectations were high for the West High graduate because he had finished in sixth place or better in four of the last five PGA Tour events at Torrey Pines.

He was let down by his driver this week, missing 23 of 28 fairways on a course where wayward tee shots were penalized by deep, gnarly rough.