Max Homa — ‘I’m getting better,’ inspired by Eagles’ Jalen Hurts

LA JOLLA, California – For the primary time in months eventually week’s WM Phoenix Open, PGA Tour golfer Max Homa lastly felt comfy holding a driver in his arms.

Through the first two rounds, Homa’s drives have been largely straighter and landed in the midst of the fairways at TPC Scottsdale. On the tough eleventh gap within the first spherical, Homa had his highest ball pace, an indication that he had freedom in his swing once more.

“That is what’s so odd about final week is that’s the greatest I swung the golf membership in like, that is going to sound loopy, however probably ever,” Homa stated.

Editor’s Picks

1 Associated

Someway, Homa carded 76-69 within the first two rounds and missed the 36-hole reduce by 5 strokes.

“Golf doesn’t like me in the intervening time, I’ve observed that,” Homa stated.

That is the place the six-time PGA Tour winner finds himself heading into this week’s Genesis Invitational at Torrey Pines. As soon as ranked No. 5 within the Official World Golf Rating and one of many extra well-liked golfers on social media, Homa is looking for any sort of silver lining that his type is popping round.

Homa has been mired in a brutal droop since tying for third on the Masters in April 2024 and has fallen to sixtieth on this planet.

“I do know I am getting higher even when it appears to be like like I am getting worse,” Homa stated throughout a information convention Tuesday. “I feel I do know what I am doing is true. It’s totally tough to proceed to see dangerous [results], however final week I really hit the ball unbelievable, and I missed the reduce by 5.”

Homa has modified nearly all the things after failing to win on tour final season for the primary time since 2020. He had three top-10s in 22 begins and did not advance to the Tour Championship in Atlanta in 2024.

Homa, 34, parted methods with longtime swing coach Mark Blackburn and introduced in John Scott Rattan, director of instruction at Congressional Nation Membership in Potomac, Maryland. After greater than a decade of utilizing Titleist golf equipment, Homa additionally switched to Cobra Puma Golf throughout the offseason.

Up to now, the outcomes have not been significantly better, not less than by way of scoring. After tying for twenty sixth at 19 underneath at The Sentry in Hawaii, he withdrew following a 5-over 77 within the first spherical of the Farmers Insurance coverage Open at Torrey Pines. Then Homa tied for 53rd at 6 underneath on the AT&T Pebble Seaside Professional-Am.

Homa ranks 149th on tour in strokes gained: whole (-.889), 177th in strategy (-1.209) and a hundred and twentieth in placing (-.203).

“I feel I do know what I am able to,” Homa stated. “Secondly, I do know that I’m fairly robust with regards to these items. I’ve gone by way of this a lot worse earlier than the place the outcomes weren’t coming.”

Following the 2015 season, Homa misplaced his PGA Tour card and needed to return to the Net.com Tour. After incomes his card again, he made solely two cuts in 17 begins in 2017 and made $18,008. He was ranked outdoors the highest 1,000 on this planet.

After lacking the reduce in Phoenix, Homa discovered inspiration from one thing Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts stated about his journey from dropping his beginning job at Alabama, transferring to Oklahoma, after which successful MVP honors in a 40-22 victory over the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs in Tremendous Bowl LIX on Sunday.

“I had a objective earlier than everyone had an opinion,” Hurts as soon as stated. “It isn’t about anyone else.”

“It caught with me,” Homa stated. “I do not understand how I by no means heard that, however like two days in the past I did and it simply made me understand like nevertheless the rating is seeking to these like outward, like final week would by no means make sense to anyone until you are a part of like my tiny little factor, you’d by no means assume that we made progress.

“It could seem like one other sort of purple X on the 12 months. I feel that that is going to be like a serious stepping stone and one thing we’ll all look again on.”