Tony Finau Debuts New Putter at Home Bank of Utah Event

Tony Finau is making his first start at the Bank of Utah Championship this week, a homecoming for the Salt Lake City native even as he arrives in an unfamiliar spot: No. 100 in the FedEx Cup standings.

Why is this Finau's first Bank of Utah start?

The tournament at Black Desert Resort in Ivins is only in its third year as Utah's first PGA Tour event, and this week marks Finau's debut in it. "To have a PGA Tour event in Utah and now to be participating in it on this stage for a home crowd, I'm really excited about it," Finau said Wednesday. The course cuts through red rock and black lava fields that Finau said play effectively like out-of-bounds, a hazard he plans to avoid by hitting more driving irons than usual off the tee.

Why is Finau using a new putter?

Finau debuted the Caliber Golf putter at the Biltmore Championship two weeks ago, where he missed the cut but said he liked the change enough to keep it in the bag. The putter's flat grip sits at the same angle as the face, which Finau said simplifies his aim, historically a weaker part of his game on shorter putts than on longer ones. "The closer you get to the hole, the better you have to aim," he said. The putter change isn't a full swing overhaul — it's a bet that better aim from short range is the specific fix Finau needs.

The putter change isn't a full swing overhaul — it's a bet that better aim from short range is the specific fix Finau needs.

Where does Finau stand for 2027?

Finau's tour card is safe regardless of how this week goes: his 2022 and 2023 victories, part of six career PGA Tour wins, keep him exempt through the 2027 season. But he sits at No. 100 in the FedEx Cup with only one top-30 finish in his last 15 starts and no major starts in 2026. A win this week would also lock him into the 2028 Championship Series, the tour's top tier of signature events.

Finau played Tuesday's practice round with an all-Utah amateur group — BYU's Kihei Akina and Arizona State's Bowen Mauss and Boston Bracken — and said he plans to keep playing through the fall, including both PGA Tour stops in Mexico, one of which he won in 2023.