The Team U.S. Ryder Cup leaderboard is heating up as only 5 more spots remain for qualification on merit. Scottie Scheffler has already booked his ticket to Bethpage after remaining incredibly consistent over the last couple of seasons. The likes of Xander Schauffele, J.J. Spaun, and Bryson DeChambeau occupy the 3 of those spots after their big major wins in 2024 and 2025. With 1 major to go, top American pros are competing in every event to find a way into the team. But it seems that one player has prioritized his health over national representation.
In a shocking turn of events, 7 golfers withdrew from the 2025 Rocket Classic just a few hours ago. Among them, the biggest name certainly was the 6-time PGA Tour winner, Tony Finau. At the time the news broke out, the 35-year-old hadn’t provided any explanation about his surprise exit. However, he has not shared a story on Instagram to share his side of the story.
Tony wrote, “Hey, Detroit, you know I love the 313 and am proud to be the 2022 Champ of the Community’s Classic! This tournament and this community mean a lot to me so I’m bummed to share that I won’t be competing this week due to some needed rest and recovery. I know you will all have a blast this week and I hope to be back in the 313 in the years to come! All my best to everyone competing this week and to all involved in this great tournament. See everyone at The Open.”
In 2022, Finau annihilated the field with a 5-stroke win. It was the second biggest deficit against the field after Nate Lashley’s -6 in the inaugural edition of the event in 2019. He scored 64-66-65-67 to end up with 26-under par, the lowest score ever in the 6 editions of the tournament. Unfortunately, the 35-year-old missed the cut in the following season, which was also the last time he played the tournament. Finau also skipped the Rocket Classic 2024 after 3 consecutive weeks of being on the road.
However, this decision puts Tony Finau’s chances for qualifying for the Ryder Cup team under major threat. The Utah local is currently sitting at 19th on the points table. He is over 5500 points away from the 6th place, Justin Thomas. With no more Signature events to go, Finau has very few opportunities to earn big points on the Tour. He will need to win the Open Championship and another event just to reach the top spots as they stand right now. By the time he takes the trip to Portrush, the leaderboard might change even further to make it more challenging for him to qualify on merit. If he doesn’t make the team then this will be the second time in a row that he would have missed the spot after not getting picked in 2023.
Image Source: Tony Finau’s Story
Having said that, Tony Finau did confirm his next appearance, which is still a few weeks away. What could be the reason behind such a huge break? Let’s explore.
Tony Finau’s possible reason for absence
For the last couple of weeks, Tony Finau has been traveling to compete in big events. His journey began with a trip to Oakmont Country Club, where he played in the 2025 U.S. Open. After that, Finau went to TPC River Highlands for the Travelers Championship. However, it’s not like he has had a continuous run of events. He had 10 days off after the Memorial Tournament and before the third major of the season. Before that, the 35-year-old took more than 2 weeks off after completing the PGA Championship.
In fact, there is a pattern here that can be deciphered. Tony Finau has only participated in the majors and Signature events since the 2025 Masters Tournament. For anyone who has been following his schedule, they wouldn’t be as surprised to learn about his withdrawal from the 2025 Rocket Classic. What will be interesting to see, though, is what he does after he visits Portrush. Will Tony Finau still try to earn a spot in the 2025 Ryder Cup team? Or has he entirely given up on that pursuit? We will have to wait and see what happens.
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