Slumping Max Homa arrives at the Masters having changed everything except his results
Another new thing for Homa: frequent weekends off.
Advertisement
Homa arrives at the Masters as an unwelcome example of how quickly fortunes can change in golf. A six-time PGA Tour winner between 2019 and '23 who rose to No. 5 in the world, he is now ranked 81st and hasn't made a cut against a full field since last year's British Open, when he holed a 29-footer for birdie on the 18th hole at Royal Troon and celebrated with a full-throated roar.
'I know how good or how easy it can feel or be,' Homa said Tuesday. 'I don't have to, like, talk myself up as much about what my ceiling is.'
Instead, Homa said he has to tell himself, 'You're closer than you think.'
A year ago, the only thing missing from Homa's resume was contending at a major, and he ticked that box when he opened the Masters with a 5-under 67 and remained in the mix until making double bogey on the 12th hole in the final round. He finished in a tie for third.
Advertisement
He has one top-10 finish since, and during that time, he's changed nearly everything except his results. He even left social media, where he built a devoted fan base with self-deprecating humor and 'roasts' of amateurs' swings. Homa's goodbye to X, formerly Twitter, was characteristically quotable: He said the platform was 'for the sick.'
Perhaps most surprising was his split from childhood friend and longtime caddie Joe Greiner, with whom he was always quick to share credit for his triumphs.
'It was not my choice, so it sucked, but we always had a deal that we're friends first and friendship mattered more than the work thing, and he was wise enough to do what he did,' Homa said. 'It's hard. I'm just so used to him caddying.'
Bill Harke debuted on Homa's bag last week at the Texas Open, where Homa again missed the cut.
Advertisement
Statistically, Homa has declined across the board. Reliably long and accurate off the tee at his peak, he has lost distance without improving his accuracy. His approach play and putting have deteriorated. The only place where he's significantly better than the average PGA Tour player is around the greens — an essential skill for someone who ranks 168th on tour in greens in regulation.
It's enough that Fred Couples felt the need to greet Homa on the practice tee with a bear hug.
'He's working on his swing. That's a little harder when you don't get results and you see a lot of people work on their swing and get results,' Couples said. 'And he's very talented. So why's he struggling now? He might not be struggling five months from now.'
Homa is happy to explain his reasons for overhauling his swing, clubs and support system after he won at Riviera and Torrey Pines among four victories in his native California, won the Wells Fargo Championship twice on different courses and led the United States in points earned at the 2023 Ryder Cup.
Advertisement
He said Mark Blackburn was a great instructor but he needed a new voice. He's now working with John Scott Rattan, the director of instruction at Congressional Country Club outside Washington, D.C. Homa's equipment deal was up, he tested Cobra clubs and he loved them.
'Everything's been just because I want to just get better. The swing changes have been the biggest issue, I would say, or just like the thing that's taken the longest,' Homa said. 'But I would have still done what I did. I just wish I could catch on a little bit quicker.'
It may sound unlikely that a struggling player could rediscover his game at the Masters. For Homa, at least, Augusta National carries the memory of his most recent success.
'I just feel like I have my plan B out here. Certain shots I know I can pull off, certain (shots) I know I probably can't,' Homa said. 'This place almost makes you be creative, something I've not been doing a great job of and now that I know I can play the place, I think it does help a lot.'
___
AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
San Francisco Chronicle
24 minutes ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
Alone and 2,200 miles from home, Venezuela shuts out Puerto Rico 5-0 at Little League World Series
SOUTH WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. (AP) — Hitting with the bases loaded at the Little League World Series, Samuel Castillo found the gap between left and center field. Two runs scored and Venezuela's lead over Puerto Rico grew to 3-0. Above the team dugout, spectators in a fan section that barely filled three rows raised one of the few Venezuelan flags in Volunteer Stadium. It took a lot for Venezuela to get here, but on Wednesday, its team made the playing baseball part of the journey look easy. Cardenales Little League from Barquisimeto went on to shut out Puerto Rico 5-0. Cardenales won all five of its regional tournament games, outscoring opponents 46-6 to become the Latin America representative to the LLWS. But in the wake of President Donald Trump's travel bans and restrictions affecting 19 countries, the team needed a special exemption from the U.S. State Department and a sign-off from Secretary of State Marco Rubio after visas were initially denied. Venezuela's senior team, players who are up to 16 years old, which was supposed to compete in Easley, South Carolina, last month was unable to get the exemption and was denied entry to the United States. 'They were working their way through applying for the exemption,' Little League President and CEO Patrick Wilson said in a news conference before Wednesday's game. 'We ran out of time, just candidly.' Wilson said there were close to 10 days for Venezuela's Williamsport team to get approved, which was 'more lead time' than the senior team. They were notified of the approval last Thursday. This isn't the first time visa snarls have been an issue at the tournament. In 2011, Uganda's visa applications were denied and Saudi Arabia, the regional runner-up, played instead. 'We'll do our best to have conversations with the great folks at the State Department that help us out in an effort to, whether we have to adjust lead times or whatever we can do, to ensure that all teams can participate and enjoy the Little League experience, whether that's at the Little League level, junior, senior, softball, whatever it takes,' Wilson said. Venezuelan players traveled to the United States without their families — parents couldn't get visas — but the coaches of last year's team that made it to the international final were among the few fans from back home sitting proudly in the stands above the dugout. Euclides and Ender Rivero only had to renew their visas which, they explained through an interpreter, was a much easier process. Maria Lewis sat just a few seats away from the Riveros holding one of the country's flags and wearing the Latin America team shirt. She's Venezuelan and lives only an hour away from Williamsport. 'I've been praying for them to come,' Lewis said. 'I'm very pleased that (their visas were) granted, because these are 12-year-olds that deserve to play their game.' 'I'm just here like a team mom, honorary team mom, so that they can feel supported, that they have people behind them,' Lewis said. Manager Luis Bermudez said the team has been keeping in touch with those 2,204 miles (3,547 kilometers) away in Barquisimeto through their smartphones, and he's grateful to the fans Venezuela did have in the stands. 'We're very happy we have all their support,' he said through an interpreter. On Friday, Venezuela will play Canada. 'I'm so happy to be here,' Francisco Rivero, who scored twice on Wednesday, said after the win. 'It's a great feeling.' Another girl takes the field at LLWS Monica Arcuri became the 24th girl to play in the Little League World Series on Wednesday when her Australia club played Panama. She started at first and rounded out the lineup for the team from Brisbane. This tournament also features the fifth female coach and a female umpire, Traci Duez, who was at second base for the Panama-Australia game. The Little League Softball World Series concluded last week with record viewership. 'For a young lady whether she chooses to play softball or baseball, we want her to have those choices, you know, and if she switches at a certain point, that's OK, too,' Wilson said. 'We just want her to participate.' ___
Newsweek
an hour ago
- Newsweek
Rickie Fowler Still Has Shot At Ryder Cup 'Conversation,' Hasn't Ruled It Out
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Rickie Fowler has made a late-season surge, finishing in far better form than he began. While he's reached some key milestones—like a last-minute top-50 finish in the FedEx Cup standings—he's aware that other goals, such as making the Ryder Cup team, are likely out of reach. Yet, Fowler hasn't completely ruled himself out of the Ryder Cup "conversation." Although he knows his chances are very limited, he's made clear that a strong showing at the BMW Championship could put him in the free-picks spotlight. "That (the Ryder Cup) is still a long way out there," Fowler told the reporters at the Caves Valley Golf Club. "I need to play some good golf this week to extend my potential to sneak into even (being) in the conversation." US golfer, Rickie Fowler prepares to begin a practice round ahead of the 44th Ryder Cup at the Marco Simone Golf and Country Club in Rome on September 27, 2023. US golfer, Rickie Fowler prepares to begin a practice round ahead of the 44th Ryder Cup at the Marco Simone Golf and Country Club in Rome on September 27, 2023. ALBERTO PIZZOLI/AFP/Getty Images Fowler's chances of making the Ryder Cup feel like a moonshot: ambitious, but highly unlikely. He is so far behind in the rankings that winning the BMW Championship would only put him around 15th place, which is far from a secure position for one of captain Keegan Bradley's free picks. Perhaps that's why Fowler is focusing on other goals. The six-time PGA Tour winner knows that his golf game hasn't been its best lately, so he's taking small steps in the right direction. "Going into years, there's always -- you want to go win, get in contention," he said. "For me, that was general. A lot of it was just making cuts, getting in contention, going and playing tournaments and stringing together and kind of trying to build on things. Looking farther would be, yeah, top 50 was a goal. It got a little closer than I would have liked to have been in a comfortable spot." A FedEx Cup top-50 finish is a tremendously important result. Not only does it allow him to play in the BMW Championship and guarantee his PGA Tour card for next season, but it also gives him a spot in the field at all of next year's Signature Events. This, in turn, allows him more leeway in his schedule, which translates into the possibility of more rest in the fall. "That secures a lot of things for me next year, so going back to the fall, I'm not sure what or how much I'll do," he said. "I would love to go play a bunch, but I need to work on the body side of it first to make sure I can go play a bunch next year." Fowler has played in 20 tournaments this season, with eight top-25 finishes, including two top-10s. His best finish of the year came just last week, finishing tied for sixth at the FedEx St. Jude Championship, the first tournament of the FedEx Cup playoffs. More Golf: Scottie Scheffler's Caddie Won't Be Back for BMW Championship
USA Today
2 hours ago
- USA Today
Penn State's poll rankings point to college football parity
Without definitive explicit evidence, the US LBM coaches poll and preseason AP Poll have both revealed their thoughts on parity in college football. Penn State could certainly be at the center of this case study. After being considered a potential candidate for the no. 1 overall ranking in both polls, the voting systems and discussions surrounding how deep college football is this season may have altered their preseason perception. At least enough to anger fans and cause debate among analysts on whether or not the topic of parity has gained real momentum within the college football landscape. Consider the fact that the Nittany Lions were just two first-place votes behind the Texas Longhorns in the AP poll but still lost out to them because of the overall point system. While the Longhorns garnered 1,552 overall points, the Nittany Lions only had 1547 points, coming up just sort in a system that proves that there are so many votes that can go around to the best teams. In the coaches poll, at least the discrepancy was larger as first-ranked Texas garnered 28 first place votes to second-ranked Ohio State's 20, but the AP poll had the benefit of time on its side. This begs the question: would both polls have looked similar had they come out around the same time? Penn State's ranking certainly lends itself to more intrigue surrounding that question. After all, being perhaps the most experienced of the top 5 teams in both polls, would it not make more sense that given more time for decision-making, voters believed in them more for the AP poll over the coaches poll? Or is it just because the AP poll has more room for more votes, therefore inflating ANY team's chance of higher rankings and more votes? Penn State are not the only team that may have either benefitted or have been slighted once the AP poll came around. Consider the Big 12 where because of their highly spilt vote share, Arizona State found themselves outside of the top 10. Meanwhile, teams such as Michigan or South Carolina, who have a lot of faith from pundits, yet still have more questions than answers in their squad, have benefitted highly from the split committee, remaining squarely in the top 15. Overall, while many teams can make the case that parity will be the key to this college football season, Penn State's tenuous rankings tell the average fan a lot about how what many consider the best team in college football can both fall victim to and benefit from baffled voters. While fans may be displeased now, there may be a myriad number of chances for the Nittany Lions to prove themselves on the field. What these preseason poll rankings most importantly offer us is a chance for this college football season to be much more unpredictable than previously imagined.
