U.S. Ryder Cup team member Tony Finau nearly missed playing at Whistling Straits due to illness

It turns out the U.S. Ryder Cup captain nearly had to make a call to the bullpen for a reserve play ahead of Team USA’s resounding 19-9 victory over Europe.

Tony Finau, one of Stricker’s six captain’s picks, came down with pneumonia the week before the biennial competition and feared he might have COVID-19. Finau participated in a charity fundraiser hosted by Tiger Woods at Liberty National in New Jersey on the Monday prior to Ryder Cup week and developed a cough.

“I started to kind of feel a little crummy,” said Finau on his podcast, “Let’s Get It.” He previously tested positive for COVID a year ago. “When we start to come down with something these days, what’s the first thing you think about? COVID. It’s like 100 percent. I had it exactly a year ago. So, a lot of these thoughts started to go through my head, like, oh my gosh, I was like, please, not COVID, not now.”

Finau knew that to compete in the Ryder Cup he had to have a negative test three days prior and be tested again on site. This was just five days before he had to get on a plane to go to the Ryder Cup. Finau flew home from Newark to Salt Lake City, a five-hour flight that he described as harrowing.

“I just balled up and threw my hoodie on and I had the chills the whole ride,” said Finau, who complained of a headache and achiness. “I shivered for five straight hours. I had a fever. It was like the longest flight ever.

“I walked off the plane looking like I needed help, like a cane, or someone needed to push me in a wheelchair. It seemed like every bone in my body was aching.”

Finau took a rapid COVID test on Tuesday and the result was negative, but on Wednesday he still felt lousy enough that he couldn’t practice and went to the emergency room to get some antibiotics. Finau was given another COVID test there and received another negative result.

“I was like, Hallelujah,” he said. “I was just waiting to get a positive test. This is going to happen. There’s no way it’s not.”

A chest X-ray revealed that he had an infection in his left chest and pneumonia.

“This is the crazy part,” Finau said. “When they told me I had pneumonia I was happy.

“The only way I’m not playing in the Ryder Cup is if I had COVID. If I can barely walk, I’m playing,” said Finau, who played in the 2018 Masters after injuring his ankle in the Par-3 Contest. “That’s how I roll.”

Finau rested for a couple of days and only touched his clubs once in the lead up to the 43rd Ryder Cup. On Saturday, he forced himself to go to the golf course and sent a few swing videos to his coach, Boyd Summerhays.

“My whole preparation was just getting my mind wrapped around can I even play?” Finau said.

When he arrived at the Ryder Cup on Monday, he had to take a PCR test and tested negative yet again. He breathed a huge sigh of relief.

“In the back of my mind I’m thinking I have COVID. At some point I’m going to test positive and all my dreams of playing a home Ryder Cup are going to be shattered,” he said.

Finau hit a few balls on Monday evening and lack of preparation didn’t seem to hinder his game. He putted out of his mind in his first match on Friday, teaming with Harris English to win a point over Rory McIlroy and Ian Poulter. Overall, Finau had a record of 1-2.

“I knew I could get it together in a few days,” Finau said. “When the juices start to kick in, I was going to be able to step up and play and when my name gets called I’d be ready to go.”