Tony Finau admits he failed to achieve his big goal for the season

Tony Finau has endured a fall from golf’s pinnacle over the last few years. Six years ago, he battled with Tiger Woods for the Masters title. Now he’s been left off the Ryder Cup team for the second straight time.

Finau entered the year with the goal of making the team. He was a year removed from his sixth PGA Tour win, and looked to bounce back from a down year and represent Keegan Bradley’s Team USA at the Ryder Cup.

But Finau’s best finish this season was a T-5 at The Genesis Invitational. He missed the cut at the Masters, finished 38th at the U.S. Open and 19th at the PGA Championship in an uncompetitive year.

He finished outside the top 60 in the FedEx Cup standings and wasn’t in contention for a captain’s pick for the Ryder Cup. Not being selected was expected, but Finau said it still stings.

Photo by David Cannon/Getty Images

Tony Finau had his ‘sights set’ on making the Ryder Cup team

Finau has been a member of Team USA’s Ryder Cup team twice, in 2018 and 2021. He was a part of the team that dominated Europe 19-9 at Whistling Straits four years ago.

He relied on a captain’s pick on both occasions, even being selected as the 15th-ranked American in 2018, but picking Finau in 2025 was a stretch too far for Bradley. Finau explained on Straight Facts Homie how it feels to be left off the team.

He said, “It stings a little, no question. It definitely stings when you have your sights set on being on the team to start the season. This is a tournament I want to be involved in, and a team I want to be a part of for the rest of my career.

“Once you get a taste of being part of a Ryder Cup, there’s really nothing like it in all of sport. It definitely stings having to watch it and not be a part of it, but at the end of the day, you’ve got to earn your way there.

“You have to earn your spot, and the 12 guys on the U.S. side have all earned their spots to be there, and I’m still excited to tune in and watch the guys get after it.”

Finau wasn’t the biggest omission from the team by any stretch. Maverick McNealy was devastated not to be picked by Bradley after finishing in the top 12 in the rankings. Meanwhile, Finau knew he wouldn’t be at the Ryder Cup.

But while missing out when you think you deserve a place on the team is a tougher pill to swallow in the moment, it must hurt Finau to realise how far he has fallen in recent years.

Tony Finau explains why the Ryder Cup feels different to Major Championships

The Ryder Cup fans are the biggest factor going into the event. The New York crowd is expected to give the Americans a decided edge entering the tournament, despite the sides being evenly matched in terms of talent.

Finau said that the crowd at the Ryder Cup is unlike anything a player faces during their career. He said, “The fans bring so much energy to this event. Electric energy, unlike any event we’ve been a part of. Majors included.

“As fun as all the major championships are, there’s a certain energy that comes with being a part of a team, playing for your country and having the U.S. on your back and knowing so many people are following.

“There’s just an energy and a buzz that’s so electric about being a part of these events that’s unlike any golf tournament in the world.”

The USA have four rookies on their Ryder Cup team, and we’re about to see what they’re made of. No matter how prepared they think they are for the energy at Bethpage, no one knows how they will respond.

That’s the danger for the Americans. We know how well their rookies are capable of playing. JJ Spaun won the U.S. Open this season, and Cameron Young picked up his first PGA Tour win. But the lights will never be brighter than this, and only the steadiest hands will thrive.