Tony Finau Addresses LIV Rumors and Jon Rahm’s Signing: ‘I’m Happy For Him’

Finau briefly spoke about his close friend's decision to leave the PGA Tour after Round 1 of the Grant Thornton Invitational.

Tony Finau’s close friendship with Jon Rahm is well-documented. They both reside in Scottsdale, Ariz., and are both members of the Silverleaf Club, where they frequently play casual practice rounds together. 

It isn’t surprising then that Finau was elated for his companion, who just signed a reported nine-figure contract with the Saudi-funded LIV Golf. 

“Yeah, I think he made the best decision that he felt was right for his family and himself,” Finau told Sports Illustrated on Friday afternoon at the Grant Thornton Invitational, where he’s leading the tournament with partner Nelly Korda. 

“I'm happy for him,” he added.

Tony Finau is playing this week at the Grant Thornton Invitational mixed event :: Amanda Inscore/The News-Press USA Today Network-Florida / USA TODAY NETWORK

Rahm’s decision to leave the PGA Tour rocked the golf world on Thursday. It also indicated that more LIV signings could be around the corner. 

Rahm will be the captain of his own four-man squad on the team-format tour and it remains to be seen how he’ll fill out his roster. In a meeting with reporters Thursday evening, Rahm declined to answer whether he’d be the captain of a new team or an existing one. 

But since the 12 LIV teams already have acting captains and will soon have full rosters (after the completion of LIV’s Abu Dhabi qualification tournament), it is all but certain that a 13th team will be introduced as Rahm’s. 

Speculation has already begun regarding who will join Rahm on the controversial tour, and Finau’s name has been floated. In a report from the Spanish website Ten Golf, Finau and England's Tyrrell Hatton were named as the next potential defectors. 

When asked if he had a response to the inclusion of his name in LIV-related rumors, Finau answered, “No, not yet. I haven’t let anything marinate other than just playing right now.” 

Finau had a similar answer when approached by another reporter. His agent, Chris Armstrong, called the report pure rumor and speculation, adding that he understands their origin as Finau is close friends with Rahm. 

Finau, 34, is a six-time PGA Tour winner and and two-time U.S. Ryder Cup team member. This week he is competing alongside Korda in the first mixed LPGA-PGA Tour team event since 1999. 

“I think it's really cool to marry the tours together,” Finau said.