Finau's victory follows wins at the 2016 Puerto Rico Open and 2021 Northern Trust; World No 17 finishes three clear of Emiliano Grillo and Sungjae Im, with Piercy in tied-fourth after a final-round 76
Sunday 24 July 2022 23:34, UK
Tony Finau capitalised on a final-round collapse by Scott Piercy to secure a third PGA Tour title with a three-stroke victory at the 3M Open in Minneapolis.
Finau mixed five birdies with two bogeys on his way to a four-under 67 at TPC Twin Cities, which saw him end the week on 17 under and ahead of closest challengers Sungjae Im and Emiliano Grillo after an extraordinary final day.
Piercy appeared to be cruising to victory and held a five-shot advantage early in his final round, only to register six bogeys and a triple-bogey on his way to a final-round 76 and tied-fourth finish.
"I was playing great but every time I looked up it seemed like I was four or five shots back all day," Finau said. "I really got things going in the middle of our back nine and once I took control of the tournament it was a whole different mindset to try and seal the deal.
Piercy began with a four-shot lead and remained ahead by following a 10-foot birdie at the second by holing a 30-footer from the fringe at the par-five sixth, with the American still four clear at the turn despite three-putting the eighth and bogeying the ninth.
Finau had birdied two of his opening four holes and cancelled out a bogey at the ninth by rolling in from 15 feet at the 11th, which moved him within two when Piercy three-putt from 50 feet on the same par-four.
Piercy birdied the par-five 12th but blew the tournament wide open when he bogeyed the next and triple-bogeyed the par-four 14th, having found the water with his second attempt from a fairway bunker.
Finau took advantage with three consecutive birdies from the 14th - including a 30-footer at the 15th - to suddenly find himself four clear of the field, while Piercy three-putted from 20 feet at the 15th but made a two-putt birdie from the fringe to move back to 14 under.
An incredible break at the 17th saw Finau save par after his ball narrowly avoided cannoning off the grandstand into the hazard, keeping his four-shot cushion to the par-five last, where he found water off the tee but two-putted for a winning bogey.
Im birdied two of his last three holes to finish second alongside Grillo, who carded a level-par 71, while Piercy found water off the penultimate tee to drop back to 13 under with James Hahn and Tom Hoge.
English pair Danny Willett and Callum Tarren ended the week in a share of seventh place alongside Greyson Sigg, with Chesson Hadley rounding off the top-10 despite bogeying the par-five last.
The PGA Tour campaign heads to Detroit next for the Rocket Mortgage Classic, the penultimate regular-season event, with coverage live on Thursday from 7pm on Sky Sports Golf.
