Was Tony Finau Always a Part Of Jon Rahm’s LIV Golf Plan? Debunking the Popular Myth

Tony Finau has left the building! We are talking about the 2024 Hero World Challenge as the 35-year-old has been replaced by Sepp Straka. However, it might also stand true for the PGA Tour.

Reports of Tony Finau leaving the PGA Tour are spreading like wildfire. Sources tell us that Jon Rahm and co. have convinced the 6X PGA Tour winner to make the switch. His withdrawal from the 2024 Hero World Challenge this week has added more fuel to the fire.

This is not the first time Tony Finau has been in the news for a LIV Golf connection. There were rumors about him leaving the PGA Tour during this time last year. Just before the 2023 Grant Thorton Invitational, fans were made to believe that Tony Finau was going to make the switch.

As per an article by Golfweek, Finau had the opportunity to deny the rumors and stop their spread more than once. However, he refused to comment on the subject. When Big Tone was questioned about him following Jon Rahm‘s footsteps to the Saudi-based promotion, he replied, “I have nothing to say right now. I haven’t heard anything.” He did not deny that anything as such could happen. Finau just simply said that he had not heard anything as such. We can assume that alarm bells were ringing in the PGA Tour headquarters after this statement.

When Finau was asked if he had any response to the possible offer, he replied, “No, not yet. I haven’t let anything marinate other than just playing right now.” Again, this was in no way a rejection of the possibility of him moving to LIV Golf. He only stated that he wouldn’t like to comment on it.

After the news about Jon Rahm’s lucrative deal with LIV Golf broke, Finau mentioned how the former had made the right decision. He said, “He made the best decision he felt was right for his family and himself. I’m happy for him.” Now why would someone who plays for LIV Golf’s rival promotion say something like that?

It does raise the question, was joining Jon Rahm at LIV Golf always a part of Tony Finau’s plan? Just like last year, Finau has not indicated that the rumors might be false. His surprise exit from this weekend’s event has made matters even worse. So is Tony Finau finally making the switch? Well, probably not because the same scenes happened last year as well. After a period of strong speculations flying around, Finau ended up not joining LIV Golf and had a good year on the PGA Tour. In 2024, Finau has managed to get 5 top 10 finishes which included an exciting T3 finish in the 2024 U.S. Open.

Whether he leaves at some point is not certain. But Finau has not hinted at leaving for LIV Golf at any point. So where can we expect to see Tony Finau play next?

Tony Finau’s schedule ahead

Tony Finau is set to feature in the 2024 Grant Thorton Invitational later this month. He will be pairing up with world no. 1 Nelly Korda to try and capture the victory. Korda & Finau face tough competition from the defending champions Lydia Ko & Jason Day who will be eager to retain their title. They also have to battle Lexi Thompson & Rickie Fowler, and Atthaya Thitikul & Tom Kim who also present a formidable threat to them in the tournament.

Beyond that, Finau has not shared his precise schedule for 2025. However, he is qualified to play at all signature PGA Tour events, The Players Championship, The Masters Tournament, The Open Championship, and The U.S. Open in 2025. We might see him feature in all the above tournaments and also probably the PGA Championship next season.

Where do you expect to see Tony Finau play next? Share your views in the comments section.