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BMW CHAMPIONSHIP

September 5, 2018

Tony Finau

Carmel, Indiana

JACK RYAN: We'd like to welcome Tony Finau to the Interview Room at the 2018 BMW Championship.

Tony stands No. 4 in the FedExCup standings right now on the strength of ten top-10s this season.

Tony, if we can get a couple of comments on being here at Aronimink for the BMW.

TONY FINAU: This is my first time here at Aronimink but to be in the Top 70 is pretty special, my third or fourth year in a row now.

So, to be able to have played my way into East Lake and lock that up is a big deal for me. The opportunity I have to win the FedExCup is something that's really exciting for me this year so I played some good golf the first couple events and just want to continue that this week here at the BMW.

Great golf course. Aronimink is Donald Ross golf course, big golf course. The rough seems to be pretty lengthy so you're going to have to hit some fairways this week. It's a golf course that looks pretty good to me and I look forward to competing this week.

JACK RYAN: Last season you were one of a handful of players that moved from outside the Top 30 in the standings to inside to qualify for the Tour Championship.

This season you're, as I mentioned, you're No. 4 in the standings. How is this season different, you know, not trying to qualify just for the Tour Championship but you're in a position to win the FedExCup if you play well?

TONY FINAU: Yeah. After I left East Lake last year, the Tour Championship was a goal of mine this year was have a really opportunity to win the FedExCup. I've been able to do that with my play throughout really all season.

You know, it's been important the play well last couple weeks but all season I put together just a really nice season. As you mentioned, ten top-10s, it's something I'm pretty proud of because it kind of shows the consistency and the way I've been playing really throughout the year and to be in this situation where, you know, a couple good weeks could win me the FedExCup is pretty special.

The BMW was a turning point I feel like in my career. Last year I chipped in on 18, which was the 72nd hole to ensure that I got in the Tour Championship.

As you said, I was on the outside looking in going into the final round. I knew I had to put a special round together and I shot 64. I'll never forget.

The rest was kind of history for me to get into the Tour Championship. And, again, I think for me that was kind of a turning point. The BMW Championship is a special tournament for me and I'm happy to be back here this year.

JACK RYAN: We'll take some questions.

Q. Tony, you're on the shortest of short lists possible for the Ryder Cup. I'm curious, your approach this week at all like a one week audition?
TONY FINAU: No, not really. I just continue to approach it the way I have the last couple weeks and that's winning the FedExCup. Seems to have worked the last couple weeks for me and there's a lot of variables when you bring Ryder Cup talk into it, you know, for someone in my position, but I know if I just keep doing the things I've been doing and put together a good week, then hopefully it happens and if it doesn't, then it's not an end result, you know, for me to be on the Ryder Cup.

It's something that I dreamed of since I was a kid to be able to represent my country and play in the Ryder Cup is what dreams are made of. That's definitely what my dream was as a kid. It would be a special phone call for me if that were to happen but if it didn't, you know, we've got the Tour Championship coming up, we've got -- there's so much to look forward to.

I play some good golf to put myself in this situation and just want to continue that this week.

Q. Qualifying for East Lake the way you did last year, how did it change things for you, more confidence knowing you get it done under pressure or what did that round do for you?
TONY FINAU: Just confidence. I knew what I had to do going into the round. I knew I had to shoot somewhere between 6 and 8-under to give myself a chance to get into the Tour Championship.

When you know you have 18 holes to do that and to be able to execute that way -- you know, I was 5-under through 8 so I knew the chances of that happening were real.

It was just a special confidence builder for me and then to know you're one of the Top 30 that played throughout that season was a huge stepping stone for me.

Last year was my third year on the PGA Tour as a cardholder and I was quite proud that I made it to the Tour Championship and that confidence again has given me the confidence this year to not only get to East Lake but to have a chance to win the FedExCup, and I've been able to do that so far and yeah, being No. 4 is pretty special.

When you're in the Top-5 going into the Tour Championship, you control your own destiny, meaning if you win the Tour Championships in one of those Top-5 spots you're going to win the FedExCup.

So, that's something that's really exciting for me.

Q. It's a couple weeks to go still but any idea how you spend ten million?
TONY FINAU: I have four kids so lot of it will be going to them not just me. Yeah, they'll be set with that ten million. That will be pretty good.

Q. Tony, getting back to the Ryder Cup, were you disappointed that you were not one of the three Captain's picks yesterday?
TONY FINAU: No, I wasn't disappointed. Tiger, Phil and Bryson are worthy candidates for that position and for those spots. So, they played incredible golf throughout the year and the way Bryson has been playing, that was a no-brainer.

Tiger and Phil bring the experience, Phil having won this year, Tiger showing he's back in form. There's no hard feelings on my end. The good news for me, there is still one spot left and if I continue doing what I'm doing, hopefully that spot is for me.

Q. To follow-up on that, do you feel heading into the BMW Championship that you are, indeed, the front-runner for that final spot?
TONY FINAU: I feel I'm one of the few guys that have a legitimate chance to be chosen. So, to have that feeling is pretty cool and, again, I've been playing some good golf.

I look forward to just the test -- the task at hand this week. I can't say how important every shot is this week just because of the -- to me the FedExCup and what that entails and every point is going to count towards the end all the way to East Lake and every stroke is going to count.

So, that's what's really exciting for me, being in this position, Top-5 player in the FedExCup and having that opportunity to, you know, eventually hoist the trophy at East Lake.

That's something that's exciting for me. The task at hand is to continue to play well and let the chips fall where they may.

Q. What's been the key to the consistency this season?
TONY FINAU: Yeah. Lot of the confidence coming from the BMW last year has been a big key. Proving to myself that I can compete at a high level and that the U.S. Open was a big deal for me this year. I think being in that final group, I played with Daniel Berger, the final group of the U.S. Open on Sunday, that was special for me and just building on that type of experience and confidence.

You know, I feel like each time I finish in the Top-10 or have a good solid week, I look at it exactly that way as a building block instead of not being able to get the job done, if that makes sense.

So, you know, sports is about winning and I like winning, too. But it keeps me hungry and I think that you have to be that way as an athlete and I definitely am that way.

So, just continue to improve but try to have a positive attitude even when you don't win a golf tournament because we're going to lose a lot more than we win in this game.

Q. Is there something you've worked on that has allowed you to get progressively better each year.
A Boyd Summerhays is my coach we worked on the basic fundamentals, alignment, grip and we found something in my grip here the last couple weeks that has helped. Just kind of getting in good position on top and being able to swing the club from there. Just little things throughout the year I've learned about myself and about my golf swing that work.

That's the bonus about playing a lot of golf, lot of tournament golf, is you get to put yourself to the test every week and get to learn about your game and about yourself.

I've been able to do that pretty effectively throughout the season and that's the goal for me just continue to try and get better and try to learn no matter the outcome.

JACK RYAN: Anymore questions for Tony?

Q. You're playing a lot of golf and a lot of good golf lately. How are keeping your energy up, because everyone talks about how tough this stretch has been pretty much from the U.S. Open, and you've played some really good golf.
That also is very stressful not just to your mind but to your body. How do you stay mentally and physically up every week?

TONY FINAU: Great question. This time of year it's tough because we have had a lot of Majors, we've got the FedExCup Playoffs and we're playing a lot of golf.

These last 8 weeks, you know, I think I've only had one week off. Lot of golf played. And, you know, honestly, you have to enjoy it I think and that's what I'm trying to do and if you don't enjoy being out here and competing I think your spirit is going to be low and things.

It helps to play well but just having that attitude of having an opportunity to enjoy and, you know, accomplish something great is what continues to drive me as a player and as a person.

So, you know, doing your workouts, eating as good as you can, and, you know, I have a great trainer in Stewart Love who helps a lot with that, but just having that kind of I think enthusiastic type of attitude moreso than, man, I can't wait until this is over type attitude, if that makes sense, has served me well.

So, that's the type of attitude I'm going to need these next couple weeks to continue to have that energy up.

You know, the good thing is we've got a week off next week and in between the BMW and the Tour Championship, so we'll have some time to kind of recoup there but we're in The Playoffs.

Right now, this is an exciting time. This is the time to play golf and compete and do your best to try and win some golf tournaments and I'm in a position where I have -- I kind of control my destiny as far as the FedExCup is concerned and that's just -- that alone is exciting for me.

Q. Do you feel the added stress of wanting to be on the Ryder Cup team and being a Ryder Cup pick? Does that add to it then as well?
TONY FINAU: I feel I've done a pretty good job of putting that in the back of my mind and just playing golf, just taking it a shot at a time and trying to play the best golf I can, every shot, every hole and stay committed to what I've been doing. The results have kind of taken care of themselves.

There hasn't been that much added stress, to be honest. I feel pretty good and I mean I know it's there, I know the pressure of being on the Ryder Cup is there but I try my best to just put my best foot forward every time I play and just let the chips where they may.

JACK RYAN: All right. Anymore questions for Tony?

Q. What was the grip change and when did you guys discover it?
TONY FINAU: Yeah. The basic grip change, just controlling the club in my left hand a little bit better and it seemed to work. Basically what fingers control the golf club in my left hand to secure the club on top and, you know, we went up to Victory Ranch, a golf course in Utah I practice at a lot.

I was with him for a couple days earlier this week or earlier last week after we had that long kind of layover going into the Dell Technologies.

I went home for a few days and was able to be with him. We were together and worked on that securing the golf club and it's something that worked.

Sometimes it takes something little like that to change your scores and that's definitely helped.

JACK RYAN: Tony, you've got your foundation's event next week, you're very proud of.

Can you comment on that.

TONY FINAU: Our fourth annual Tony Finau Foundation Luau and Pro-Am next Monday and Tuesday, September 10th and 11th.

You know, obviously September, 11th is a very special time for our country, a time where we can come together. So I felt that was necessary to have my foundation event at that time and to kind of commemorate and remember kind of as Americans what we stand for, which is something that's pretty special to me.

Yeah, my foundation is something I'm really proud of. To see the physical evidence of some of the kids, the underprivileged kids I've been able to help in an area I grew up in is something that's very satisfying and brings a lot of joy to me.

So, you know, to be able to raise some more money here next week and to just enjoy a good time. We have a luau is something that's pretty cool. Little different twist on a foundation event because my upbringing, I did a lot of Polynesian dancing growing up, fire dance and doing the "hukay" and all that kind of stuff.

That's really fun for me. And so that's a cool twist in our event and then obviously the golf course and it's a lot of fun so we actually -- I'm proud to say that BMW has actually stepped up just as of today and donated a car for our one of our Hole-In-One holes. That's a cool twist that I'm excited to announce just this morning.

Cool to have them step up in that manner and support the Tony Finau Foundation. Something I'm really proud of and just in our fourth year, we've raised almost a million dollars and almost all of that has gone to the underprivileged kids in Salt Lake City and helped with basic needs for all of them.

JACK RYAN: Best of luck with that. Sounds like a great event and best of luck this week.

TONY FINAU: Thank you.

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