Getty Image / Ben Jared / PGA TOUR
PGA Tour superstar Tony Finau is one of the most well-liked golfers on tour and his popularity went through the roof after his appearance in Full Swing on Netflix that revealed his backstory to many golf fans for the first time and how Tony came from an impoverished neighborhood in Salt Lake City to where he is today.
A report this week from Desert News claims that former business associates seeking “repayment for loans and other work and services they say they provided to the family” are engaged in lawsuits, two separate lawsuits, to try and claim millions of dollars that Tony Finau has earned on the PGA Tour.
The 6-time PGA Tour winner won twice during the 2022-23 season. He claimed victories at the Mexico Open at Vidanta and the Cadence Bank Houston Open. Spotrac lists Finau’s career PGA Tour earnings at $50,315,922 and that includes $13,881,886 in 2022 and $7,602,652 in 2023, his highest-earning seasons to-date.
The Desert News report states the lawsuit that was filed in 2020 is now headed for trial and “a separate lawsuit dismissed in 2021 has been partially reinstated by an appellate court.” The report goes on to describe the nature of the lawsuits:
Two different investors, in separate lawsuits, are suing the Finau brothers and their father Kelepi “Gary” Finau. Former business associate and family friend Molonai Hola sued in September 2020, while Utah County businessman David Hunter filed his complaint in May 2021.
Both Hola and Hunter, who are not working together, say they want repayment for loans and other work and services they say they provided to the family from 2006 to 2009, totaling about $1.1 million. They also seek, separately, up to 20% each of Tony Finau’s career earnings, which could be in the tens of millions. In April, Finau won $1.3 million with a first-place finish at the Mexico Open.
Tony Finau hasn’t and speak about it publicly. His manager astutely pointed out there is no benefit/upside whatsoever to Tony commenting on these ongoing lawsuits. And his manager Chris Armstrong added they “are confident that the legal process will carry out in due course.”
The gist is: former business associates who helped fund Tony Finau and his brother’s golf careers from an early age, are seeking tens of millions earned by Tony on the PGA Tour. From where Tony is standing, however, these business partnerships were dissolved years ago.
According to the report, one of the lawsuits is seeking ‘more than $16 million’ from Tony. The other estimates they are “due more than $5 million.”
‘At the root’ of both lawsuits is The Finau Corp. being dissolved in 2009. And both lawsuits appear to be headed for a trial now.
Not for nothing, Tony Finau is one of the most beloved celebrities in Utah. With both trials taking place in Utah, the optics will be interesting to watch over the coming months.