Tony Finau joins Rory McIlroy, Justin Thomas in demanding PGA TOUR ignorance of Northeast to finally come to an end

Look, the Philly sports crowd doesn’t need validation from PGA TOUR suits, but we’ll take it when it comes from the mouths of guys like Tony Finau, Rory McIlroy, and Justin Thomas. After a week in Flourtown for the Truist Championship, it’s become painfully clear: the Northeast isn’t just underrated golf country — it might be the golf country.

And the players know it.

Tony Finau, who fired a smooth 67 Saturday to climb into a T6 logjam with Rory, Sungjae Im, Sam Burns, and Nick Taylor, summed it up perfectly:

“Within 100 to 150-mile radius of this place, I think there’s some of the best golf in the world.”

Tony Finau Gets It.

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Tony Finau is not wrong, and he’s not alone. Rory McIlroy, the defending Truist champ and future guest at Aronimink and Merion, backed up Finau with a mic-drop moment Wednesday:

“Philly is one of the best places in the U.S. for golf… I feel like we don’t play enough tournaments in the Northeast.”

Justin Thomas, who’s in the hunt this weekend and just won at the RBC Heritage, doubled down:

“It’s spectacular… There’s just a different look and feel to golf up here—it’s got this old-school charm, the kind of stuff you don’t get in a lot of places.”

So, PGA TOUR, what’s the holdup?

It’s Time: The PGA TOUR needs to give the Northeast the love it deserves

For a region that’s home to golf cathedrals like Merion, Aronimink, Winged Foot, Baltusrol, Shinnecock, and Oak Hill, the PGA TOUR has done a baffling job of bringing the best players in the world to these venues outside of major championships.

Straka, Lowry Share lead heading into the Final Round at the Truist Championship

There hasn’t been a proper TOUR stop in the Philly area since the 2018 BMW at Aronimink. Boston? Forgotten. Jersey? Ghosted. New York? Crickets…pun intended.

But seriously, that’s inexcusable.

The Truist Championship has already proven that Philly Cricket isn’t just up to the task — it’s thriving. Crowds are big. The course is bold. The leaderboard is stacked. And the vibe? Chef’s kiss. It’s exactly what a Signature Event is supposed to feel like.

Let’s make this clear: This cannot be a one-and-done.

Bring back TPC Boston. Give Aronimink a Signature Event. Let Merion host something before we’re all collecting social security. The Northeast doesn’t just deserve more PGA TOUR events — it needs them.

The players want it. The fans are begging for it.

So the question is…What the hell is the PGA TOUR waiting for?

The Liberty Line is on-site at the Truist Championship all week with more coverage from Philly Cricket >>