2 weeks Ago By Daniel Blackham
PGA Tour star Tony Finau experienced a moment of embarrassment at the Houston Open when he failed to tap in from close range, resulting in a three-putt from just three feet. Finau, who narrowly avoided the cut after entering Saturday's delayed round five under par, was not really challenging the leaders, particularly after Scottie Scheffler matched the course record at Memorial Park. Nevertheless, he was trying to claw his way back into contention when he found himself with a short putt for par.
Standing over the hole, Finau needed to sink a three-foot putt to ensure a par. However, his putt lipped out and stopped mere inches from the hole for a tap-in. A frustrated Finau walked over and tried to simply tap the ball into the hole, but seemed to hit the ground first, making very weak contact with the ball.
This resulted in Finau having to tap in again for a double-bogey on what should have been an easy par three. He ended up finishing his slightly disappointing round at even par, leaving him tied for 39th heading into the final day. Had he made par, he would have ended the third round seven under and in a tie for 27th, but still a significant ten shots adrift of runaway leader Min Woo Lee.
Lee faced a significant challenge heading into the weekend after Scheffler set a new course record on Friday. His stunning round of 62 placed him at the top of the leaderboard, sparking speculation that the '2024 version' of the two-time Masters champion was back in form. However, Saturday saw him shoot level par through the first 14 holes, failing to sustain the momentum he had built up over the weekend.
The week has been challenging for several high-profile players in Houston, with rain delays significantly affecting the course. Rory McIlroy will strive for a top-10 finish on Sunday after shooting a five-under 65 in the third round. Meanwhile, Rickie Fowler, currently tied for 50th place going into Sunday, now needs to secure a win at next week's Valero Texas Open to book his spot in the Masters.
This article originally appeared on Mirror US ..
