Hong Kong Open: Tony Finau refuses to panic, even when he forgets his own words of advice
- The world number 16 is making his debut in Hong Kong, feeling blessed for how his life turned out after humble beginnings
- The 30-year-old is on a high after helping Tiger Woods’ USA team win the Presidents Cup in Melbourne
Tony Finau had some important advice for budding golfers on a recent podcast – only he couldn’t remember what it was.
The 30-year-old American was asked by the emcee at the Hong Kong Open press conference to repeat his three-step mantra for succeeding on the golf course to the local media. He did not panic but asked serenely: “Could you remind me what it was?”
After the laughter died down, the emcee said: “Well, the first one was ‘don’t panic’.”
“Oh yes, and number two and three were ‘don’t panic and don’t panic’.”
World number 16 Finau, the highest-ranked golfer playing this week at the Hong Kong Golf Club, has gone through too much in his life to be one to panic.
The son of immigrants from the South Pacific, the 1.93-metre (six-foot-four) Finau was born in Salt Lake City in Utah, grew up amid gang violence and practised golf as a kid by hitting against a mattress hung from the ceiling of his garage. So he knows how not to panic.