The No. 1 institution in the world is family. It's so powerful.
— Tony Finau
It was tough to fail year after year. I never even got to the final stage until I got my card on the Web.com Tour. But I always believed that I could be something special. I just had to prove it to myself.
I definitely take time to smell the flowers because I feel like my upbringing was quite a bit different than most guys on Tour.
Essentially, my parents directed me in the right path. They were all for me turning professional and starting that journey as a family with my golf career.
There are a lot of great athletes on the PGA Tour and a lot of good basketball players. But I can definitely put my name in the mix as one of the best.
I'm from Samoan heritage, and with the rugby in our blood and everything, I always felt I've been tough, and that my tolerance for pain is pretty high.
How you think, and how much you think, is so important in golf. There are countless things we can work on and think about in the swing, but when it's time to play in competition, you don't want to think too many thoughts.
As a rookie, I need to play a lot. I need to know what courses I like and adjust to the atmosphere and the lifestyle of playing at the highest level.
I think the biggest challenge when I'm on the road is being away from my family.
I think the Polynesian people and the gospel are in harmony. We're very respectful people, and very humble people... and I try and let that shine through as much as possible.
It's cool to be able to dunk. I'm pretty tall and pretty long. My body's probably built more for basketball than for golf.
I feel like listening is a huge part of life - not only listening to people, but listening to people that you believe in, people who you think are wise.
I have a little different perspective on this whole golf thing than maybe some other players. So I definitely take time to realize where I'm at in my life. And I know that I'm blessed.
I don't really get to attend church. That's definitely one of the challenges. I'm always playing on Sunday, and that's tough because I really never get to take the sacrament - maybe once every three or four months when I'm home and have a week off.
I'm not an alcohol drinker. Instead of the real beer, I just go with root beer.
Staying in the moment is not worrying about the outcome but just focusing on the process on the next shot.
