Finn & fun: Locust Valley golfer Thomas Finn has right state (title) of mind
Locust Valley’s Thomas Finn competes at the New York State High School Federation boys golf championships. at Bethpage State Park in Bethpage, New York on June 12, 2022 Credit: Patrick E. McCarthy
At this point, pressure feels foreign to Thomas Finn.
The Locust Valley senior rolled onto the Mark Twain Golf Course in Elmira looking to have some fun and enjoy the moment. How fun it was to become a state champion.
“I wanted to enjoy it. There wasn’t any pressure,” Finn said. “I’ve been playing tournament golf since I was 10. I was just doing my thing."
Finn entered the second day of competition with a three-stroke lead after opening with a 66. He finished with a two-day total of 138 for a four-stroke victory.
“I wasn’t hitting the ball as well on the second day,” Finn said. “I had a tough start that day, but eventually I got back into a groove."
Finn took home the Nassau individual championship a few weeks earlier when he shot a 142 over two days. It was his second straight year winning the event.
He started golfing at Locust Valley as a seventh-grader and now he finishes as a state champion. He's grown a lot . . . and in more ways than one.
“I started out as this 4' 10" kid, now I'm 6-foot. I've grown so much," Finn said. "I’ve evolved so much as a player, I’ve basically grown up playing tournament golf.”
Christopher Matias covers high school sports for Newsday after spending time in Athletic Facilities and Operation at St. John’s and in Sports Information at CUNY York college.
