To those unfamiliar with the 34-year-old golfer from California, Max Homa has six wins on the PGA Tour. Nothing could prepare him for a brutal opening to this year’s Masters after a tumultuous stretch with his caddie. Homa was T3 at last year’s Fortinet and has finished T3 in a major as well. This time, he just could never get comfortable around Augusta National Golf Club.
Problems reared their ugly head when Homa announced his split with his long-time caddie and near-brother, Joe Greiner. This separation happened soon after the Players Championship. According to reports, the decision to separate wasn’t Homa’s choice, which brought an emotional layer to his preparation. “It was not my choice so it sucked, but we always had a deal that we’re friends first and friendship mattered more than the work thing, and he was wise enough to do what he did,” Homa remarked about the situation.
Unfortunately, the challenges didn’t stop there on Thursday when Homa found trouble once again on the eighth hole. As he prepared to take a shot from the trees while searching for the fairway on the par five, another caddie inadvertently blocked his path. Though it caused a bit of a disruption, Homa was able to move past the incident and ended up making par on the hole.
The back half of the round did not go at all well for Homa. He battled valiantly but shot a two-over 74 to finish T51, nine shots back of tournament winner Justin Rose. This performance comes on the heels of Homa’s hot-and-cold year on tour, missing five-straight cuts heading into the Masters.
Homa’s best result in a major remains his joint third finish at the Masters last year, underscoring the expectations placed on him as one of the prominent figures in golf. Yet, with recent setbacks and a tough start at Augusta, it remains to be seen how he will rebound in the coming rounds.
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