Tony Finau has been facing two separate legal battles for quite some time. While one of the lawsuits has been formally dismissed, the other, which involves millions of dollars, is still scheduled for a jury trial in October.
In 2021, Finau, along with his brother Gipper and father, was sued by a man named David Hunter for an alleged violation of a contract. Hunter claimed that he was owed money after investing in the Finau Corporation, which was dissolved just two years after its establishment in 2007. According to Fox 13, Utah’s 4th District Court ruled that the statute of limitations for a breach of contract had expired.
Another lawsuit, filed by Salt Lake City businessman Molonai Hola in September 2020, revolves around loans and expenses and is still on track to go to court.
Hola’s claims and lawsuit trace back to the period between 2006 and 2009 when the Finau brothers were beginning their careers in professional golf. Tony Finau has accumulated over $38 million in earnings throughout his PGA Tour career, while Gipper has participated in four Korn Ferry Tour events.
Deseret News reports that Hola’s initial court filing alleges that he financially supported the brothers with a total of approximately $600,000, which included mortgage payments, medical bills, insurance, entry fees, and travel expenses. Hola also claimed in court documents that he purchased a new Chevrolet Suburban for the family, covered their living expenses and fees during their one-year stay in Florida, and provided them with golf lessons from renowned instructor David Leadbetter.
Among Hola’s original three complaints, the only remaining one, which will likely be the focus of the October trial, is the claim of unjust enrichment amounting to nearly $600,000.
One of the dismissed claims argued that Hola was entitled to “20% of Tony’s and Gipper’s earnings as professional golfers.”
Initially, Hola sought a total of $16 million in his lawsuit, and although two-thirds of the case has been dismissed, his attorney Joshua S. Ostler has not backed down from the request for millions of dollars.
After the trial date of October 2 was set, Hola expressed his feelings, saying, “It has been a long time, but it does feel good to get this court date. It is a good story that has happened to Tony, and how he grew up here in our backyard and has been so successful. It is a little sad that it has come to this, but I think it is important that something like this has happened so we can make things right.”
Mark is a sports enthusiast who covers all major sports and closely follows the world of golf. He holds a journalism and online media degree from the University of Tennessee, although he leaves it up to others to judge his mastery. When he isn’t working, there’s a high probability that he can be found on the golf course.
According to the Source outkick.com