Golf // 7 years ago
Shriners Hospitals Open: 10 players to watch
1. Tony Finau, United States -- After tying for 11th in the WGC-HSBC Champions, Finau made the long flight back from China to play this week in Las Vegas. A late bogey cost him a second top-10 result in three starts to open the 2017-18 season, as he also finished second to Brendan Steele in the Safeway Open and tied for 26th in the CJ Cup at Nine Bridges in South Korea. The strong start has placed Finau fifth in the early FedExCup standings after he wrapped up last season with ties for seventh in both the BMW Championship and the Tour Championship. That gave him eight top-10 finishes for the season and he wound up 19th in the final point standings. Finau, a native of Utah, gets close to a home game in his fourth start in Vegas, having tied for seventh in his first appearance in 2014 and tied for 16th two years ago before a 74 dropped in to a tie for 41st after he played the middle rounds in 65-65 last year.