As a rookie, I need to play a lot. I need to know what courses I like and adjust to the atmosphere and the lifestyle of playing at the highest level.
TONY FINAUThere are a lot of variables to playing mini-tour golf because of the finances. If you don’t play well, you’re often losing a lot of your own money.
More Tony Finau Quotes
-
-
I know a lot of kids following in my footsteps, not only from my heritage, but there’s younger generations trying to follow in my footsteps.
TONY FINAU -
I am extremely proud to be of Tongan and Samoan descent.
TONY FINAU -
I have no golf setup at all inside, just a half-court for me and a volleyball setup for my wife, who plays.
TONY FINAU -
This whole golf thing was so left field for us, as Polynesians, but he had a lot of knowledge about sports in general. My dad was a genius, really. He was an absolute genius.
TONY FINAU -
There are countless things we can work on and think about in the swing, but when it’s time to play in competition, you don’t want to think too many thoughts.
TONY FINAU -
If the rules aren’t going to protect the integrity of the game, then they’re wrong.
TONY FINAU -
I had plenty of power, and I knew how to play the curve, but I was a tour player who was watching his tee shots peel 30, 40 yards to the right.
TONY FINAU -
There are a lot of variables to playing mini-tour golf because of the finances. If you don’t play well, you’re often losing a lot of your own money.
TONY FINAU -
I knew when I got on tour that if I had the opportunity to give back to my community, which is Rose Park, I would.
TONY FINAU -
I’ve taken two weeks off before I’ve played a major, and I’ve played two straight weeks before a major as well.
TONY FINAU -
At the heart of every slice is an open clubface. And it usually goes with a steep swing that cuts across the ball from out to in.
TONY FINAU -
We grew up in the Rose Park section of Salt Lake City. It’s a good neighborhood but a tough one, on the poor side but proud.
TONY FINAU -
I don’t really get to attend church. That’s definitely one of the challenges.
TONY FINAU -
Because my lower body is quiet, I need a full shoulder turn to generate power and speed. Keep your tempo smooth, and with the quiet lower body, you don’t have to worry about losing your balance.
TONY FINAU -
We didn’t have cable TV. We just couldn’t afford it. But you don’t need cable to watch the Masters. In 1997, at the exact moment I started out, I watched Tiger Woods win the Masters.
TONY FINAU -
It’s the Tiger Woods effect. What he was able to accomplish at such a young age – he drew me to the game, and I can only speak for myself, but a lot of the players that are my age saw Tiger in his prime when we were all teenagers.
TONY FINAU -
Staying in the moment is not worrying about the outcome but just focusing on the process on the next shot.
TONY FINAU -
It’s a privilege to be in a position to give back, and one that I take pretty seriously because I know what it’s like… to be less fortunate, to be less privileged.
TONY FINAU -
There are a lot of great athletes on the PGA Tour and a lot of good basketball players. But I can definitely put my name in the mix as one of the best.
TONY FINAU -
The No. 1 institution in the world is family. It’s so powerful.
TONY FINAU -
So I definitely take time to realize where I’m at in my life. And I know that I’m blessed.
TONY FINAU -
It’s cool to be able to dunk. I’m pretty tall and pretty long. My body’s probably built more for basketball than for golf.
TONY FINAU -
We all wanted to be like him.
TONY FINAU -
I had a chance to win $2 million, a week after high school graduation, and if I turned pro, the sponsor was going to financially support me.
TONY FINAU -
It’s a cool thing to see Polynesians – there’s not too many of us, period – but especially doing well in American sports. It’s pretty cool.
TONY FINAU -
Rose Park is a community I’m very proud to be from.
TONY FINAU