“Alejandro Tosti is not scared of anyone. It’s a war out there for him”: Former coach of Argentine golfer shares his view of the Tony Finau incident
Neither Tony Finau nor Alejandro Tosti addressed the media regarding their disagreement at the Houston Open. However, Tosti's former coach, JC Deacon, offered insights into the incident. During the tournament, there were confrontations between the two players on certain holes, attracting attention from the golfing community.
Deacon told Gold Central that his former protege has no fear:
"Alejandro’s not scared of anyone. It’s a war out there for him, and I think that rubs some people the wrong way, and maybe that came out a little bit today."
Despite being a rookie, Tosti fearlessly confronts seasoned veterans, determined to prove himself and emerge victorious.
He also noted that the Tosti had previously said:
"Coach, I’m not out here to make friends. I’m out here to be the best I can be."
The 27-year-old is playing quite well, posting a -9 showing and being tied for the lead after three rounds at the time of writing.
What happened between Alejandro Tosti and Tony Finau?
The incident began on the fourth hole when Alejandro Tosti and Tony Finau found their golf balls very close to each other, just over 38 feet from the hole with only an inch separating them.
Neither wanted to go first, and they argued about it. Thomas Detry had to help deliberate, and it was determined that Tosti would take the first putt, thereby losing his chance to get the boost of going second. Both players would par the hole after that, but Alejandro Tosti wasn't pleased with having to go first.
On the sixth hole, a similar situation arose. This time Tony Finau was seven inches closer but technically off the green, forcing Tosti to putt first again, further exacerbating the tension between them
The commentators noted the incredible scene, with John Wood saying:
"You can cut the tension with a knife between Finau and Tosti right now. They had another instance right there where they were trying to figure out who was away. Tony just pointed at him and walked away. Tosti kind of smiled as if to say 'you're kidding right?' It's just completely icy, it is not comfortable between those two at all. It's just tension."
Wood, who has also previously caddied for Matt Kuchar and Hunter Mahan, noted that Tosti made a birdie putt on the fifth hole, shortly after the confrontation on the fourth hole. He said that the ensuing fist-pump celebration was pretty close to Finau:
"There is no love lost."
Ultimately, Finau is trailing by three strokes, positioning him well within striking distance of the lead. If the tournament's finale comes down to these two, it might be must-see television with the heated rivalry forming before fans' very eyes.