Fan favourite Max Homa ticked off winning a PGA Tour event in his hometown when he lifted the the 2021 Genesis Invitational title – his second PGA Tour title – after beating Tony Finau in a dramatic two-hole playoff at Riviera.
The LA star is certainly one of the more popular out there, thanks to his relatable demeanour and hilarious social media presence.
Here are five reasons why we love him…
1. Fanboying Tiger
Homa grew up just north of LA in Valencia and said he’d been going to Riviera for the Genesis Invitational and its previous guises since the age of two. That meant he got to see a lot of Tiger Woods in his prime – and although he never won the event, he left a lasting impression on Homa.
“Tiger is the reason I am in golf,” Homa said following his win.
Woods is now the tournament host, and Homa joked: “I saw Tiger the other day but I was scared to talk to him, now he is forced to talk to me so it’s going to be a pretty awesome moment.”
Homa, now in his 30s, proves that you’re never too old to be a fanboy.
2. Twitter swing roasts
Homa is never afraid to say it straight – and it’s part of the reason he has a quarter of a million followers on Twitter.
It all began when a fan sent asked him to “critique [his] swing like Gordon Ramsey critiques s****y food.” Since then Homa has been roasting amateur’s swings – for fun – in his downtime and we’re all here for it.
Here are a handful of my favourites…
3. Because who doesn’t enjoy sarcasm?
It’s not just swing roasts Homa bats away with minimal fuss, it’s trolls too.
You know when you see him tweet with a screengrab that you’re in for a treat.
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4. His reasons behind getting the job done
Anyone who bottles a short putt on the 72nd hole to win a PGA Tour event is going to have some knock in confidence. (Just ask Dustin Johnson.)
“You’re not supposed to miss a three-footer in front of Tiger Woods,” Homa joked.
Before the play-off, Homa called Lacey, his wife, who reminded him of a message she’d sent earlier: “Forgive quickly.”
It worked. He shrugged off the miss and then pulled off a miraculous par save from under a tree before going on to win.
5. Get a Grip! (The podcast, we mean)
Because who doesn’t love a good golf podcast? So when you’re all up to date with the NCG Podcast make sure you give ‘Get a Grip’ a listen.
The weekly podcast hosted by Homa and Golf Channel presenter Shane Bacon sheds light into what goes on behind the scenes that Homa describes as “legitimate insights into the game”.
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