Tony Finau withdraws from Grant Thornton Invitational at 11th hour, cites knee rehab

After withdrawing from the Hero World Challenge last week, which sparked a flood of LIV Golf rumors on the internet, Tony Finau has decided not to play in this week’s Grant Thornton Invitational.

He wants to continue recovering from a recent knee surgery that he had on Oct. 15. The operation repaired a torn meniscus and cleaned up cartilage. Last week, a source said Finau would “likely be there,” but they also noted that they had contingency plans in place in case he did not feel ready.

“I am disappointed to have to withdraw from the Grant Thornton Invitational as I continue to recover from my knee injury,” Finau said in a statement provided by the PGA Tour.

“Playing with Nelly in 2023 was one of the highlights of my year. I look forward to cheering her on this week and am thankful for her support and understanding as I work on getting fully healthy. I’m grateful to my partner in Grant Thornton for their support and for diversifying our game by bringing the PGA Tour and LPGA together in Naples. I look forward to returning to competition in the new year!”

This mixed event, which features PGA Tour and LPGA stars, saw Finau and World No. 1 Nelly Korda tie for fourth one year ago. Now, Korda will play with Daniel Berger, who played on the U.S. 2021 Ryder Cup team.

Berger also underwent a lengthy rehabilitation period over the past couple of years. Due to back complications, he missed nearly 18 months after the 2022 U.S. Open. He then returned to the PGA Tour in January.

As for Finau, he hopes to return to competition at The Sentry, the tournament held in Maui during the first week of the new year.

Jack Milko is a golf staff writer for SB Nation’s Playing Through. Be sure to check out @_PlayingThrough for more golf coverage. You can follow him on Twitter @jack_milko as well.