Tony Finau is the Newest Member of the Jordan Golf Team

Jordan Brand’s push into the golf industry isn’t just a vanity project to satiate Michael Jordan’s love for the links. Jordan’s continued reimagining of classic basketball silhouettes into golf shoes has been a major factor in the sport’s fashion-forward, youthful reinvention for the new era. In addition to running through retros in golf form, the Jumpman is building one of the strongest teams in the sport, and the squad’s latest addition, Tony Finau, fits in perfectly with the Jordan ethos.

Announced with a new video feature and interview this month, Finau kicked off the new year with some new shoes, but his history with Jordan is years deep. The 36-year-old pro first met His Airness nearly 20 years ago, when he was 17 playing at Jordan’s private golf course in Florida. “Obviously, Michael represents excellence at the highest level,” Finau said. “Jordan Brand is incredible to be a part of, and Michael is an incredible individual to represent.”

From those beginning days as a ball-smashing youth to finishing top 10 in the 2018 Masters on a dislocated and then self-relocated ankle incurred during a hole-in-one celebration, and through his continued success on tour, Finau has always brought the kind of passion and determination that draws Jordan to athletes across sports. Of course, if you’re looking to get on Team Jordan, it doesn’t hurt if you already have the boss’s number in your phone.

“During the times I’ve played at his private course in Florida, The Grove, [Jordan] always told me, ‘Anytime you’re in this area, you’re welcome here,’” Finau said. “So in 2024, I’m playing a playoff event. I know I’m going to be in West Palm after the playoffs, for a shoot I was doing with one of my sponsors. My son was with me on the trip, and the thought crossed my mind, ‘It would be the coolest thing on Earth if I could bring my son to play The Grove.’ I texted Michael on a whim and asked him. He got back to me 30 seconds later: ‘We’re actually closed for the weekend, but I’ll open the course just for you and your son. Please bring him, and we’ll make it happen.’ We played 18 holes that day and had the entire course to ourselves, just me and my son. That single experience is something I’ll never forget. That’s the effect Michael has on people.”

Expect to see Finau lace up the latest Jordan Golf sneakers and stay strapped with the brand’s range of apparel and accessories for the links as he makes appearances across the PGA Tour. Who knows, maybe Finau will get himself a player-exclusive or two along the way.

Zach Harris

Zach Harris is a writer based in Philadelphia. His work has appeared in Rolling Stone, Vice, Complex, High Times, and more. He is obsessed with skateboarding and bowling. He is still looking for his first 300. For tips, reviews, and anything in size 10.5 - zach.h@soleretriever.com