This Max Homa interview on celebrities, his bachelor party, Chipotle and so much more will remind you why you love him

USA Today

19-07-2025

Let's face it, these are trying times for Max Homa. The six-time PGA Tour winner reached as high as No. 5 in the world, but has now slipped out of the Official World Golf Ranking top 100. After playing in 21 consecutive majors, he's now missing his second straight, as he failed to qualify for the Open at Royal Portrush.
He has a new caddie after splitting with childhood friend Joe Greiner, and he recently opened up about the cesspool that social media can become, which is in contrast to the early portion of his career, where he made a name for himself by roasting the swings of others.
And after a rough opening round at the 2025 Barracuda Championship, Homa stormed back Friday to make the cut at Tahoe Mountain Club's Old Greenwood course with eight birdies, including five in his last seven holes. Rico Hoey led the event after two days of play with plus 26 while Homa entered the weekend at plus 14.
But despite his struggles, Homa has remained one of the game's most insightful players, a genuine interviewee who thoughtfully answers every question lobbed his way in the media center.
And while we don't typically publish interviews in their entirety, this exchange between Homa and reporters in advance of the Barracuda, this one seemed too precious to carve up. Thanks to PGA Tour communications for the entire transcript:
Q. You played your college golf at Berkeley, Cal Berkeley, not too far from here, couple hours away. Did you have any experiences coming up to Lake Tahoe when you were in college? Any memories coming up in this area in that time period?
MAX HOMA: No, never in college. I did come here for my bachelor party.
Q. Oh, nice. Heck yeah.
MAX HOMA: So memories are hazy, but...
Q. We need to follow up on that.
MAX HOMA: We got pictures. But yeah, we never golfed here. I did do a work outing last offseason at Edgewood, which was cool. That was my first time getting to play-play up here.
No, it's very pretty. I guess last time I played this event it was at Montreux, so bit different location, but similar kind of vibe. It's a very special place in the country that I don't feel like a lot of people get to go to, but when you got here you think to yourself, why don't I come here more often?
It's very peaceful. It's a very enjoyable place. Very thankful we get to come up here.
Q. The Bachelor party, winter trip, summer? When did you guys come out?
MAX HOMA: September. It was like a Labor Day.
Q. You get on the boat?
MAX HOMA: It was very nice. We had a plan to get on the boat, but everybody woke up and thought better of it. Yeah, no.
But, no, it was fun. We stayed mostly at the house. We went down to South Lake Tahoe every night. It was a blast. We had like 15 of us. It was a lot of fun.
Q. Shoutout to Shannon Kelly's fiance John actually had his party during the ACC last week.
MAX HOMA: That's wild.
Q. Shannon's dad was there. I can tell you by Sunday they looked like they were pretty bad by Sunday. Speaking of Edgewood though, tough back-to-back weeks of assignments for us. We were posted up at the American Sentry Championship last week. I know you had your eyes on it because I believe Charles Barkley name dropped you. I think you reached out to him after he shot an 81 often Friday. What's that relationship like and did you -- do you pay attention to that celebrity tournament every year?
More: Max Homa calls social media a 'safe haven for a**holes,' says logging off was the right move
MAX HOMA: Yeah, I'm lucky. I got quite a few friends who played in it. Chuck I think is the greatest dude in the world. He texts me after most every tournament so I was trying to reciprocate. He's playing so much better, so that was fun to watch.
Baker plays. I text him. Chuck and Rob McElhenney played together, and so I'm friends with both of them. I keep my eye the most on Aaron Rogers. We talk a lot. We talk a lot golf. He's a golf junkie. He didn't get to play much at all leading up, but he said I think the Monday before he went up he went and played and played really well, so it was good that he showed up and kind of kept what trend going. I think he went 15, 15, 14.
It was fun to watch them, man. People like Steph and just the athletes that we admire going to play a game that drives you insane. Getting to watch the Kelce Brothers suck is always funny. I mean, they're just the most likable people ever and they get on the golf course and they continue to be relatable.
I don't know. You just get to see both their personality and competitive nature at the same time. I think that's just awesome.
Q. What did you say with Chuck, you had the video of him, there were some expletives...
MAX HOMA: Oh, yeah.
Q. ... and you were like, one of us, man. You got to be careful with a hot mic around Barkley.
MAX HOMA: He doesn't care about a hot mic, I promise you that.
Q. Who is the best celebrity golfer you've ever played a round with?
MAX HOMA: I mean, Aaron is a really good. I've never played with Steph. He's impressive. On the spot I'm blanking. I know there is more. But somebody who is really good, Alfonso Ribeiro is a phenomenal golfer.
Q. He takes it very seriously.
MAX HOMA: Yeah, he loves him some golf. I'm sure I'm missing a bunch.
Q. You're good.
MAX HOMA: I'd be curious -- Austin Reaves has a special place in my heart as a Laker. I've heard himself tout himself as the best golfing basketball player, so I would like to see his game. His swing is beautiful, so...
Corey Kispert is a good player.
Q. Shout out Gonzaga.
MAX HOMA: Yeah, so there are some good ones. I need to see it all up close. Steph obviously gets the most accolades because he won the ACC and all that. Oh, Mardy Fish. He's a really good golfer.
Q. We saw Mardy; the final round he had a cocktail on the turn. That told me, all right...
MAX HOMA: Because Mardy takes it serious-serious, so if he's drinking that means he's packed it in.
Q. Back to serious golf though. In your last few months and of course, and it's well documented, different caddies and you were carrying your bag at a Monday qualifier. Take us inside your head right now and what you're going through.
MAX HOMA: Yeah, feels good. Game feels a lot better the last -- since about the Truist I saw some better signs. Didn't really put up any good results, but the game started to feel a lot better.
It's hard because I'm not at The Open. Didn't get to play the U.S. Open either. So it's hard to kind of compartmentalize improvement without being I guess upset I'm not there. But at the same time, if I just put it in a vacuum I'm really happy where my game is right now.
I played great at the John Deere. I've been playing well at home. So I'm finally seeing some sustained good golf. Driving it a lot better. The rest of my game has felt pretty decent all year. Just been the driver and the 3-wood. So it's been awesome the last two and a half weeks.
So, yeah, it's just good to kind of keep bouncing around. We travel so much. So bounce city to city and keep playing and keep having the same swing. For the beginning it was quite tough, so I see the light, which is good.
Q. Dial it in.
MAX HOMA: Yeah.
Q. Got you. When you look at this tournament, you're hovering near 100 in the standings. Do you look at this as a opportunity, okay, this is somewhere maybe I can get big points or more just focused on I just want to go out and play good golf? What is your goal, expectation for coming out here to Truckee this week?
MAX HOMA: Yeah, I mean, I'm in that spot. I don't need to finish in the top 100 this year because I have exemptions. I'm focused on the 70 and 50 number. I added this event because -- well, you know, I thought I would be playing this week anyway. I didn't play last week in Scotland.
So I just wanted to get another rep in and get some points. Just try to keep chipping away towards that 70 number to make the playoffs.
Hopefully -- I would love -- my wife is very, very pregnant right now so really like to win one of the next two so I could skip an event coming up just so I could keep the stress level low in our household.
But, yeah, just wanted to -- playing well. I wanted to just get some points in and work my way towards Memphis.
Q. Get a W and then maybe, all right, now we can...
MAX HOMA: Yeah, I got two missed calls from her yesterday and I was freaking out. I can't handle the stress right now.
Q. I can relate because my wife is also very pregnant.
MAX HOMA: Okay.
Q. When are you guys due?
MAX HOMA: We would be like the first week of August.
Q. So we're first week of October so you're really close.
MAX HOMA: Oh, no, I'm close, yeah. She's the one telling me to keep playing, so I'm still stressed out. Dude, I'm freaking out. I'm ready to have the baby and then get settled.
I know it'll be chaos, but I want to make sure I'm there.
Q. Speaking of chaos, I just watched last night an eight-minute Truth Or Putt interview you did with Druski sponsored by Dunkin' Donuts. That looked like a ton of fun. And also, recently released episode of Stick on Apple. You were in that episode. What's it like getting to taste that Hollywood side of things?
MAX HOMA: Yeah, it's not exactly my bread and butter, but Druski is cool. It's always scary to meet people like him because that's how I felt about the Pardon My Take guys, Big Cat and PFT. They're such a massive part my life without knowing it. It's kind of the definition of never meet your heros.
I think when people meet athletes that they don't end up liking they get upset. I get that, but it's a different mindset. Those people are entertainers and you want them to be cool and normal and Druski...
Q. (Talking over one another.) I hope they like me.
MAX HOMA: That's what I mean. Hope they're funny, and Druski lived up to that. He was awesome to be around. Yeah, getting to be around Owen Wilson was cool. We were talking. I'm 34. If you're a 34-year-old dude he's your adolescence.
Q. You're looking peak period of movies.
MAX HOMA: Him and Vince Vaughan, man. We still quote everything they've done, so that was awesome. That was a pinch-me, texting all my friends, you'll never believe what I'm doing today.
That was cool. Yeah, I haven't watched my scene. I will not watch my scene. I do not have the heart to watch myself act.
Q. At least Wyndham was there with you.
MAX HOMA: Yeah, thank you goodness. Hopefully he looked worse than me. That's all I can ask for.
Q. How did you become that guy that is friends with all these big names, massive following. How did that all happen? Just naturally?
MAX HOMA: I don't really know. I don't know. I've tried since college just to be myself and then you attract people that like that. If you don't, then it's all good.
So fortunately I've always had such an admiration for other athletes, what they go through, what they put their bodies through, what mentally they go through. I've been lucky to get to have a lot of deep talks with these people, especially Aaron, about like how you prepares mentally, I mean.
So, I don't know. I just have always been a big admirer of all theirs, so I've been really lucky we've got to have a relationship and chat about life, but also sports and how to get better.
All athletes are sickos. We love what we do and we all love other sports, so it's cool to get to talk to those types of people.
Q. We had or Nikki Pico (phonetic) walk up with you and she spotted our your bag big Chipotle presences on the golf bag got to ask you. They're a sponsor of yours. You said it's like your absolute favorite thing. First of all, what's the go-to Max Homa Chipotle order? What's the move?
MAX HOMA: Yeah, they're my favorite thing like ever. I looked it up. There is not one anywhere near my hotel which is a bummer. My go-to, I get basically the same thing every time. I get a bowl, white rice, black beans, that Chipotle honey chicken is fire. I hope that never goes away. I've been begging them to keep it. Just keep it forever.
Q. Don't lose it.
MAX HOMA: Then pico corn, and if I had a good week I'll get guac. If not, I don't.
Q. That's pretty simple.
MAX HOMA: It's very simple.
Q. Pretty simple order. Mike, what's on your Chipotle move.
Depends if I'm going burrito, usually bowl though. I'm the guy that goes half and half with everything.
MAX HOMA: Yeah, yeah, that is a good idea.
Q. I feel like you get a little more that way.
MAX HOMA: Okay, yeah, you're fleecing the system.
Q. If I'm feeling good I'll go with the queso, but always guac on the side.
MAX HOMA: Always, okay.
Q. Got to get the guac. Even the veggies I think are a must.
MAX HOMA: That's the only thing I'll mix in that's not part of my standard. I have it a lot at home so at some point I mix it up a little. That's pretty much the only thing...
Q. Hey, we actually have one in Reno. Maybe we'll drive one up for you.
MAX HOMA: Yeah, I checked. 23 miles from my hotel. I'm still thinking about going. I might drive out. I don't have my family here this week so I might hike it over to the Chipotle.
Q. Curious, big Dodgers fan, right?
MAX HOMA: Yeah.
Q. Did you catch the All-Star Game last night? Kershaw mic'd up as he was pitching.
MAX HOMA: Yeah.
Q. Do you think LA runs it back this year?
MAX HOMA: I hope they do. That was really cool. Kershaw is Dodgers' baseball to me. He's right in kind of my sweet spot, my favorite Dodger of all-time.
So to get to see that -- he wasn't really honing it down. I think he hit 89 his first pitch. Had a strike out and have Dave (phonetic) come out, you know, that was just so cool.
So it's nice when -- we been so lucky to get to see such great pitching in our era. To get to see them take their steps towards the end and get to appreciate it is cool. I hope they win it all. They're good. Pitching is going to get healthy soon.
I think that's one the one bugaboo for the season. Bats have been cold, but I don't really worry about that lineup. I think they'll worry that one out.
Q. I'm a long-suffering Mariners fan, so Cal Raleigh winning the Home Run Derby, I'm going to ride that.
MAX HOMA: Cal Raleigh, baby. That's awesome. That was awesome.