19th Hole

Tony Finau shows off dramatic swing change at Tournament of Champions

Published

3 years ago

Jan 5, 2023

Jason Daniels

Golfers never seem to stop tinkering.

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Last season we saw many of the top players make small, or dramatic changes, to their game, with one or two, such as three-time major winner Jordan Spieth receiving much comment from social media users.

Related: Scott Stallings just learned about his 2023 Masters invite in the most unusual way

One of the most popular members of the PGA Tour, Tony Finau, took five years between his first and second tour victories but made up for it in 2022, when going back-to-back at the 3M Open and Rocket Mortgage Classic and then winning again in Houston just 10 weeks later.

In the best shape of his career, the 33-year-old led the tee-to-green stats for both his wins, finding a staggering 16.5 and 14 shots on the field respectively, whilst he was also into double figures for his latest victory.

Top that with his best-ever putting spell, positive figures for all but two of his last 15 completed starts, and Finau might finally achieve what many have believed he could do for a few years.

With that in mind, there was always going to be plenty of comment when he recently posted a video on his Instagram account, showing what looks like a dramatic swing change.

Golf writer Mark Harris was one of many that tweeted the video, asking why a player with three wins, two runner-up places and four further top 10s would amend his stance and swing.

Is Tony Finau going thru a swing change?

Seems odd given how great he’s been the last handful of months.

Three wins and two other Top 10’s in his last seven starts. pic.twitter.com/FPPeSosaZz

— Mark Harris (@itismarkharris) January 3, 2023

Interesting.. pic.twitter.com/zv63AP9R7S

— Travis Fulton (@travisfulton) January 3, 2023

Maybe Finau is trying something new for this week’s Tournament of Champions, an event he has never got to grips with, with just one top-10 on debut his best from three outings but, as Dan Rapaport tweeted, he certainly seems happy enough with life and may not be as worried as some fans that commented on the clip.

Tony Finau organized a Finau vs. Summerhays two-day family match. They played 18 at the Bay Course yesterday after Tony practiced…and they’re doing it again today after Tony’s pro-am.

That’s a 27-hole and a 36-hole day before the tournament starts. Tony Finau is a golf guy. pic.twitter.com/Bx4LkOo1fb

— Dan Rapaport (@Daniel_Rapaport) January 4, 2023

With that weight of expectation off his shoulders, Finau can now look forward to stepping up at the majors.

It all looks like a decisive move by player and coach Boyd Summerhays. With The Masters arriving in three months, he has already been well backed to at least match his two top-10s and a best of 5th at Augusta.

19th Hole

How much each player won at the 2026 Masters

Published

1 month ago

Apr 13, 2026

Gianni Magliocco

Rory McIlroy made it two wins in as many years at Augusta National, seeing off the challengers on a dramatic Sunday to slip on the green jacket once again. The victory earned Rory a whopping payday of $4.5 million, with Scottie Scheffler his closest challenger earning $2.43 million for his sole runner-up finish.

With a total prize purse of $22.5 million up for grabs, here’s a look at how much each player won at the 2026 Masters tournament.

For players that did not make the cut, they still earned $25k for their efforts at the year’s opening major.

1: Rory McIlroy, $4.5 million
2: Scottie Scheffler, $2.43 million
T3: Tyrrell Hatton, $1.08 million
T3: Russell Henley, $1.08 million
T3: Justin Rose, $1.08 million
T3: Cameron Young, $1.08 million
T7: Collin Morikawa, $725,625
T7: Sam Burns, $725,625
T9: Xander Schauffele, $630,00
T9: Max Homa, $630,00
11: Jake Knapp, $562,500
T12: Jordan Spieth, $427,500
T12: Brooks Koepka, $427,500
T12: Hideki Matsuyama, $427,500
T12: Patrick Reed, $427,500
T12: Patrick Cantlay, $427,500
T12: Jason Day, $427,500
T18: Viktor Hovland, $315,000
T18: Maverick McNealy, $315,000
T18: Matt Fitzpatrick, $315,000
T21: Keegan Bradley, $252,000
T21: Ludvig Aberg, $252,000
T21: Wyndham Clark, $252,000
T24: Matt McCarty, $182,083
T24: Adam Scott, $182,083
T24: Sam Stevens, $182,083
T24: Chris Gotterup, $182,083
T24: Michael Brennan, $182,083
T24: Brian Campbell, $182,083
T30: Alex Noren, $146,250
T30: Harris English, $146,250
T30: Shane Lowry, $146,250
T33: Gary Woodland, $121,500
T33: Dustin Johnson, $121,500
T33: Brian Harman, $121,500
T33: Tommy Fleetwood, $121,500
T33: Ben Griffin, $121,500
T38: Jon Rahm, $105,750
T38: Ryan Gerard, $101,250
T38: Haotong Li, $96,750
T41: Justin Thomas, $92,250
T41: Sepp Straka, $87,750
T41: Jacob Bridgeman, $83,250
T41: Kristoffer Reitan, $78,750
T41: Nick Taylor, $74,250
46: Sungjae Im, $69,750
47: Si Woo Kim, $65,250
48: Aaron Rai, $61,650
T49: Corey Conners, $57,600
T49: Marco Penge, $57,600
51: Kurt Kitayama, $55,250
52: Sergio Garcia, $54,000
53: Rasmus Hojgaard, $52,650
54: Charl Schwartzel, $51,300

19th Hole

CBS’s Sunday Masters coverage slammed by golf fans

Published

1 month ago

Apr 13, 2026

Gianni Magliocco

While Sunday was a dramatic day at the Masters, many golf fans were left feeling frustrated by the CBS final round coverage.

There were plenty of moments that golf fans took to social media to air their frustrations on Sunday over, including a lack of shots being shown throughout the day, being behind the live action, confusion over the approach shots of the final group on 18, and providing an angle for the winning putt where the cup couldn’t be seen.

Here’s a look at some of the criticisms that were directed at the CBS coverage throughout the day on X:

This has been a brutal broadcast for CBS. When the folks from Augusta sit down with them this year, you can bet they’ll talk about this 15 seconds where we have no idea where Rory’s ball went, and Dottie moans. #TheMasters pic.twitter.com/ak3mkpIN7V

— Ryan (@PossiblyRy) April 12, 2026

It’s rare criticism coming in for CBS, who are usually heavily praised for their Masters coverage each year.

19th Hole

The surprise club Tommy Fleetwood says is key to his Masters chances

Published

1 month ago

Apr 7, 2026

Gianni Magliocco

Tommy Fleetwood goes in search for the first major victory of his career again this week, with the Englishman proving to be a popular pick at Augusta National.

Fleetwood’s best showing at Augusta came back in 2024 where he finished T3, and while speaking at his pre-tournament press conference, the 35-year-old emphasized the importance of his 9-wood in his pursuit of the green jacket.

Speaking on Tuesday to media, Fleetwood said:

“It’s a great 9-wood golf course. I think it’s always been — I can’t remember when I first put like a 9-wood in or a high lofted club, but it’s a perfect like 9-wood golf course. I’ve had that in the bag for a few years.”

The Englishman continued, revealing that his strategy for the week won’t just be to hit driver off the tee as much as possible:

“Yeah, it’s funny really because I know Augusta is probably associated with being fairly forgiving off the tee in a way, so you think you can whale around driver a little bit. But I don’t necessarily think that’s always the play for me. I think there’s holes that set up really well where I can draw it with the mini driver if I’m feeling less comfortable with the driver and things like that.”

That strategy he believes will make his TaylorMade Qi10 9-wood extra critical this week in Georgia:

“The biggest thing is the 9-wood for me. If I can put myself in position on the par-5s or the 4th long par-3, like it — for me, I can’t really hit that high 4-iron, so 9-wood helps me a lot.”