[ad_1]
LOS ANGELES – Statistically, Max Homa had a 99.57% chance of converting the 3-footer to birdie on the 72nd hole of the Genesis Invitational, but then there is no room for statistics in the chambers of the human heart.
In 11 events this season on the PGA Tour, Homa, who is as LA as the Palm Trees and Dodger Dogs, had, like most Tour guys, been automatic from that distance. But not all 3 feet are created equal and the slider for the birdie and victory in the event means more to him than any other 30 feet might as well have been.
Homa, who grew up 30 minutes north of Riviera, admitted he was “shaking like a leaf” in front of the iconic game winner 18e hole and the only saving grace was that the empty pandemic gallery was not there for a collective gasp.
“I was just a little nervous, honestly,” Homa admitted. “This tournament means a lot to me. I was a little shaky.
It was more than a second Tour win or a big winner’s check. Homa has been coming to the old LA Open since “basically I was a baby”. His father first brought him to the event when he was 2 and he grew up devouring fluffy pretzels and prowling the rope for hours peddling autographs.
Genesis Invitational: Open Field Scores | Full coverage
As the winning putt grazed the edge of the cup before walking away, there was an eerie silence. Careers have been derailed by less and “Missed a 3-footer to win the big one” is a title that doesn’t wash off easily.
But it was different. Despite the nervous lack, there seemed to be an outward calm in Homa that belied the importance of the Los Angeles stop for the 30-year-old.
It wasn’t like that a year ago when he started the final round at Riviera just three headshots away. Getting so close to a childhood dream took its toll and it concluded with a 70 which included untimely bogeys at No.16 and 18. But from the failure of 2020 came the condemnation of 2021.
Homa bounces after missing a potential winning putt
“I really think last year helped, seeing my name in second place with Adam Scott on 15, I had that etched in my memory,” Homa said. “I kind of came into this event, especially today and yesterday, knowing that I did really well last year, I just needed to clean up one or two mistakes.
The final “mistake” on the 72nd hole was looming and the grueling climb up the hill to the Riviera clubhouse did little to calm Homa’s racing spirit after his par two putt on the last to finish 12 under par. alongside Tony Finau, who was dealing with his own Sunday demons.
Encouragement talks came quickly.
“This is our city. This is your tournament. This is your golf course. This is our tournament up for grabs, ”Homa caddy and long-time friend Joe Greiner told him.
Homa called his wife, Lacey.
“I think I choked a bit,” he stammered.
She quickly reminded Homa that he had just converted a 7-footer for birdie to 17e hole and he was still tied for a playoff series. She also reminded him of the message of the day she sent before it went off: “Forgive quickly.”
Homa defeats Finau in playoffs to win Genesis Invitational
Homa seemed to forgive and forget his mistake at 18e hole in the playoffs. From par 4 10e hole both Homa and Finau hit the fairway woods to the left of the green, this was, again statistically, the correct play, but Homa’s ball hit a tree.
“It was very calm for what I thought we couldn’t hit the green [from beside the tree]Said Greiner. “He said, ‘I have it.’ He thought he could actually hit him closer than that and I was just thinking about hitting the bangs at 15ft.
Homa hung a 50-degree hooded block on the green at 12 feet for a par two putts and a push. On the second extra hole, his tee shot at par 3 14e rolled to 12 feet and he won with an anti-climatic two putt and a Finau failure.
Homa, a longtime Dodgers fan, would have preferred the start at 18, but he’s very happy with the extra-innings victory. As his childhood hero Tommy Lasorda once said, “I love doubles. This way I can keep my uniform for longer.
He’ll also gain a healthy dose of confidence thanks to the resilience he needed after the miss at 72.nd hole and the unlucky rebound on the first hole of the playoffs. When asked about the ranking of this victory, Homa offered a predictable assessment, “1-A, 1-B, 1-C”.
The fact that tournament host Tiger Woods handed him the trophy after a day of marathon only added to a dream that he admitted that the 6-year-old version of himself probably wouldn’t. could not imagine.
“I don’t know if I could ever do anything cooler in golf than this,” he said. “Just for me, for my junior Joe, we were raised 25 miles north of here.” I mean, Tiger Woods is giving us a trophy, that’s a pretty crazy thought. We grew up idolizing it, idolizing the Riviera Country Club, idolizing the golf tournament. To get there, it’s almost shocking.
No, what was shocking was the unusual lack of the 72nd hole, but that only made Homa’s emotionally charged victory more satisfying.
[ad_2]
Source link