Tony Finau's Ryder Cup audition went poorly Thursday. The Lehi resident shot a 4-over-par 74 in the first round of the PGA Championship at Bellerive Country Club in St. Louis, while playing alongside U.S. Ryder Cup captain Jim Furyk.
Finau had finished in the top 10 in each of this season’s previous three major tournaments, but he will need a remarkable recovery with a 68 or better to make the 36-hole cut Friday. The projected cut line is 2 over par.
Craig Hocknull, Glenwild Golf Club's director of instruction, played solidly until bogeying No. 18. Hocknull opened with a 72. Davis Park Golf Course assistant pro Zach Johnson shot a 76.
Errant driving was Finau's downfall in the first round. He made four bogeys and two double bogeys, partly offset by four birdies on his second nine (Bellerive's front nine).
Xander Schauffele, another Ryder Cup hopeful who was paired with Finau and Furyk, rallied to post a 70. Furyk, who shot a 69, will make four captain’s picks in early September, completing the 12-man U.S. roster.
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