‘Familiar Territory’: Defending Champion Tony Finau Is Ready to Re-Invoke a Deja Vu as a 2022 Repeat Sneaks Over Into the 3M Open

The 3M Open is currently underway in Blaine, Minnesota, and has delivered many thrilling moments so far. The PGA Tour event is now all set to enter its final day, with Lee Hodges at the helm of the leaderboard.

Lagging not too far behind Hodges is World No. 19 Tony Finau, who is on the hunt for the 7th PGA Tour title of his career. At the end of day 3, Finau, who lifted the 3M Open title last year, opened up about experiencing deja vu at the tournament’s 2023 edition!

Tony Finau exudes confidence as he gears up for the final round of the 2023 3M Open

Over the first three rounds of the 3M Open, Lee Hodges has played some amazing golf, which has helped him secure a five-stroke lead ahead of the final day of the tournament. While Hodges’ significant edge over the rest of the field may concern other golfers, Tony Finau isn’t one of them.

The reason? Well, the 33-year-old was in a similar situation last year as well. At the final round of the 2022 3M Open, Finau had entered the final round five back of the 54-hole leader but held his nerve to go on and nab the trophy eventually.

“I am happy to be within 5,” Finau, who is currently 6 strokes behind Hodges, told CBS Sports. “Just to have a chance to win again, it’s a good feeling [and] familiar territory.” The golfer further confessed that he would have to play some good golf “to catch Lee.”

Finau’s last win came in April when he defeated World No. 3 Jon Rahm to win the Mexico Open title. Since that victory, however, he has missed three cuts in seven starts. Now that he is once again in contention for a PGA Tour trophy, Finau said, “I am putting well. You know, it’s been a little bit streaky but I don’t think streaky, is a bad thing.”

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The Salt Lake City native carded a score of 4-under 67 on Moving Day to reach a 14-under total. Besides Finau, the likes of J.T. Poston, Aaron Baddeley, and Billy Horschel will also be hoping to catch up with Hodges on Sunday.

Tony Finau and J.T. Poston are in hot pursuit as Lee Hodges leads at the 3M Open

Lee Hodges, who carded an impressive 5-under 66 on Saturday, will be relatively comfortable heading into the final round of the 3M Open. After all, he is five shots ahead of second-placed J.T. Poston and six clear of reigning champion Tony Finau.

With his score of 20-under 193, the 28-year-old also overhauled the tournament’s previous 54-hole record of 195, which was set by Scott Piercy last year. Despite his secure lead, however, several other players, including Tony Finau and J.T. Poston, are currently on his heels.

Last year, Finau was down five with 11 holes to play before Piercy goofed up, allowing him to bag the trophy. He will be hoping to repeat history. Meanwhile, Poston is also on the lookout for his third major trophy. Other top contenders include Aaron Baddeley (-13), Sam Ryder, Keith Michael, Kevin Streelman, and Billy Horschel (-12).

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Do you think Tony Finau will overcome Lee Hodges to claim the 3M Open trophy for the second consecutive time? Which player are you rooting for to win the title? Tell us in the comments!