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Tony Finau and his family are reportedly being sued for more than $16million by a former business associate.

According to the Deseret News, the world No.14 has been hit with the claim by 55-year-old Molonai Hola.

Hola, the owner of Icon Sports, first met the FInau family around 1997 and, in documents filed in court last week, claims to have paid the expenses of Tony and his younger brother Gipper. 

Hola claims those expenses were covered for several years with an agreement in place for them to be paid back. However, he says they never were. 

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The expenses in question are said to include the FInau family’s mortgage payments, medical expenses, a new car and golf-related travel expenses for Tony and Gipper. It is also claimed by Hola that he paid for the family to live in Florida for a year in order for Tony and Gipper to be taught by acclaimed golf coach David Leadbetter.

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The suit claims that the total expenses paid by former Salt Lake City mayoral candidate Hola amount to just under $600,000. He is pursuing reimbursement in full, plus interest, and compensatory damages of “at least $16million”, which the suit states represents roughly 20% of the Finau brothers’ career earnings to date – something that Hola says he was promised.

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Tony has banked just over $20million in official on-course earnings since joining the PGA Tour six years ago. Gipper has not yet made it onto the tour.

As well as the two brothers, the suit also names their father, Gary, Tony’s agent Christopher Armstrong and the Wasserman Media Group.

In a statement obtained by the Deseret News, Armstrong said: “We are aware of the matter and have the utmost faith in the legal process. We will not be making further comment at this time.”

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