By Wil Barnes
Max Homa might not be a name you’re familiar with, but get used to it. This 23-year old has all the tools to play on the PGA Tour … and the name and confidence to take it deep.
He’s the only Max on Tour; a name he said will be good for headlines, which he seems prepared to write.
“I’m not surprised I’m out here,” said the 2013 graduate of Cal, where he was an All-American. “I feel very fortunate and lucky to be out here as well.”
He comes across as genuine, not cocky, and reminds me a little of when I met a 22-year old kid from South Africa at the 2008 Players Championship, Charl Schwartzel. They share that quiet demeanor, steely eyes and confidence. And as we know now, Charl won a green jacket in 2011.
After graduating from Valencia High School, Homa headed to Berkeley and earned his degree in Consumer Behavior. “I really enjoyed my time at Cal,” said the avid Dodgers and Lakers fan. “From my freshman year on, I watched us get better each year, mature, and then my senior season was just awesome.”
Max’s biggest amateur moment came in the summer of 2013, when he was a member of the victorious U.S. Walker Cup team that won at National Golf Links on Long Island, N.Y. National Golf Links is accordingly his favorite golf course now, and Max has played some of the best, including Pebble Beach and Riviera.
“I think I have played both Riviera and Pebble about the same amount of times,” said Max. That’s a good thing, too, because his upcoming schedule includes the PGA Tour stops at those two classic courses, along with the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines, a layout he is also familiar with. He won’t play in Phoenix this week, but hopes to next year.
Max worked his way onto the PGA Tour after just one year on the Web.com Tour, where he won the BMW Pro-Am Charity presented by SYNNEX. He finished 16th on the money list, earning his card to the big show. He didn’t waste any time getting going, entering five events during the fall series, where he made three cuts. We met after his third round at the Humana Challenge, where he was disappointed after he missed the cut but anxious to move on to his next event. His best finish as a PGA Tour member came at this year’s Sony Open, where he shot in the 60s all four rounds, including a personal best 63 in the third round. His world ranking might be No. 268, but he has won a comfortable $236,314 in his short tenure as a professional.
As he moves on in 2015, his goals are simple: Compete every week out and just get better. “I think I’m a solid iron player, but know I have to improve in all aspects because the guys out here can do it all,” Homa said.
Max also has a good man on his bag, Joe Gribiner, a long time friend from Valencia,where they grew up playing the local 9-hole executive. “We have known each other since he was 12,” said Joe, who, with a thick beard, you can tell is older.
“Joe is a few years older but we have played together so much he knows my game well,” said Max. “I am super, super fortunate to have him out here. He helps me a lot.”
Like I said, you may not have heard of Max Homa, but you will. There is a new “Mad Max” film due out this spring, so you can start to see the possibility of headlines that might read there is a “Mad Max” on the PGA Tour.
