JERSEY CITY, N.J. - It took numerous delays, postponements of tee times and a playoff, but the 2021 The Northern Trust has finally concluded with a most deserving winner: Tony Finau.
Finau needed to rally against Cameron Smith in a one-hole playoff first, but not before a spectacular final round performance. He carded a back nine score of 30 today that included a birdie, eagle, birdie stretch from holes 12-14, in addition to another birdie on the 16th hole; good enough for the low round of the day.
This is Finau's second PGA Tour win and first win since 2016, and in 189 starts. Coincidentally, it is also his first win on US soil, as his last win came at the Puerto Rico Open. In addition to a $1.7 million payout, Finau also receives 2,000 FedEx Cup points, enough for a boost from 23rd to 1st in the FedEx Cup Rankings.
The win comes with much relief for Finau. Since his inaugural win back in 2016, he finished second in eight tournaments and had 39 top-10 finishes. These numbers are remarkable and highlight just how good of a player Finau is. Many in the past have often criticized him for his lack of wins, but in a true display of his character, he never bought into their criticism.
YET ANOTHER PLAYOFF ENDING
Again, it took a playoff to determine the winner this week. Both Tony Finau and Cameron Smith finished their final rounds at 20-under, but it was Jon Rahm who was on pace for the win.
Unfortunately, Rahm found trouble on both the 15th hole and 18th hole, carding bogeys for both and effectively ending his chances to win. It is interesting to note that from the TV coverage, it appeared that something was bothering Rahm on the 15th tee box, having backed off from the shot a few times. He would go on to land that tee shot in a fairway bunker and things were downhill from then on.
Cameron Smith started the day tied for the lead with Rahm, but things were looking grim after a double-bogey on the par 4 5th hole. Despite this, he rallied back and carded four birdies on his back nine. He faced a long putt on the 18th hole for the outright win, but could not sink it.
Back to the 18th tee box Finau and Smith went. However this week, things were less dramatic. Smith hit his tee shot far out of bounds while Finau found the fairway, sealing the deal for Finau, who ended up making a par for the win.
WORST AVOIDED, BUT HENRI LEAVES ITS MARK
Although forecasts of Hurricane Henri's path initially predicted a worse outcome for Liberty National Golf Club, the course was spared the worst, only receiving heavy rainfall and winds for a period of time.
Still, this was enough for tour officials to postpone Sunday's final round to Monday morning, then further tee time postponements to midday on Monday, as rainfall and flash flood warnings were still in effect. Players were put into threesomes and split tees to make the final round as efficient as possible. The Monday round also featured no spectators, as it was deemed too hazardous given the forecasted rain and warnings.
This left players in a unique situation, essentially being given the day off on Sunday. For some, the day-off was good, while others found it tedious and unsure what to do with themselves, especially with so much on the line for the tournament. Some worked on their putting in their hotels rooms, while others opted for rest and relaxation.
54 hole co-leader Jon Rahm saw the day-off as an opportunity for family time, with his four-month baby and wife who were both with him for the tournament this week.
This was the first mid-tournament postponement of a round since the 2019 Zozo Championship in Japan.
The staff at Liberty National should be applauded this week, particularly for their work in drying out the course after Sunday's heavy rainfall.
TOP 70: WHO'S IN, WHO'S OUT
To advance to the second round of the FedEx Cup Playoffs (later on this week at the BMW Championship), players needed to rank in the Top 70 at the end of The Northern Trust.
Keith Michell, who started the week in 101st place, needed a good result this week to move into the Top 70. And he did just that, finishing T8, with enough points to get him into the field next week.
For a full list of the FedEx Cup Rankings as of now, click HERE.
CALM BEFORE STORM LEADS TO NEW COURSE RECORD AT LIBERTY NATIONAL
Saturday was no doubt the calm before the storm. With winds low and conditions favorable, Saturday's rounds saw a slew of low scores including a new course record of 60 shot by Cameron Smith. His round consists of six birdies on the front nine and five on the back nine. He played the final five holes at 4-under par on Saturday, which propelled him up the leaderboard to T1 heading into the final round.
Scores of 62 were also shot on Saturday by Erik van Rooyen, Shane Lowry and Canadian Corey Connors.
The conditions on Monday were also soft, with more low scores, however a stiff wind was present at times.
The low scoring comes as a stark contrast to the 2013 The Barclays, which saw a pre-renovation version of Liberty National Golf Club. That week, the winning score was 11-under and the low round of the week was a 63-shot by Keegen Bradley.
There is always debate amongst fans as to what is more entertaining, watching players battle through a tough course or watching them dominate a vulnerable course. Personally, I think both are equally exciting.
***
That concludes another exciting week on the PGA Tour. The excitement continues (later this week) with the second playoff event: The BMW Championship, where the Top 70 will battle it out to win and ultimately gain entry into the prestigious final tournament: The Tour Championship. Only one will be crowned the FedEx Cup Champion, who will it be?
Stay tuned for our preview post of the 2021 BMW Championship later this week,
-Nick
Toronto Golf Reviews
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