In the second round of the Korn Ferry Tour Regular Season finale five years ago this week, Max Homa made four straight birdies to make the cut and keep his job. Homa is frequently questioned about the significance of this run in his career, which has grown to include six TOUR victories and global fame.
The significance of “the streak” is a common topic of conversation here, but it is also true. A second-round 8-under 62 at the BMW Championship, a course record at Olympia Fields Country Club (North Course), a storied Chicago-area club that has played host to four major championships, is the most recent example of how Homa is continuing to rise.
At 10-under-par, Homa has a two-stroke advantage going into the weekend. He would take the lead in the FedExCup standings going into the TOUR Championship with a victory this week.
This week, Homa is driven by several factors, including his desire to automatically qualify for his first U.S. Ryder Cup Team (the six automatic qualifiers are decided after the BMW Championship). A top-two finish at Olympia Fields would accomplish this. There is also the FedExCup to consider; under the Starting Strokes system, the player in first place following the BMW Championship will start their week at East Lake at 10-under par.
“Last year, I confessed my intentions to (Captain) Zach (Johnson) but he said, “Well, I’d like to not have to pick you,” to which I replied, “All right, there’s my promise, I’ll try to get an automatic.” That would be very awesome. To get into the top six has kind of been my objective throughout these Playoffs. Obviously, that requires some excellent golf. There are many excellent players you are up against. You’re up against the best Americans, so it’s been fun keeping that objective in mind. It’s a challenging mission.” Homa said.
Homa has the world to himself. His wife Lacey made a humorous jest about the necessity for him to limit his media commitments to 15 minutes, reminding everyone that “Happy Wife, happy life.” But the Homas were taking their time, chatting with friends and admirers outside the opulent Olympia Fields clubhouse in between interviews. Homa has won in Chicago before (the 2016 Rust-Oleum Championship for the Korn Ferry Tour), and he is in a strong chance to win again in the Windy City.
With his first top-10 finish at a major, a T10 at The Open Championship, Homa broke a personal barrier last month. Of course, he has higher aspirations for the four most important tournaments in golf, but he made sure to celebrate the achievement by tweeting “first top ten in a major (finally)” after submitting his score that afternoon. His subsequent start at the FedEx St. Jude Championship resulted in a T6 finish, and he entered this week at No. 6 on the FedExCup, making him a strong contender for the overall season championship. Nothing about his performance this week has suggested otherwise.
Homa has moved up to the top 10 in the world, and after this week, he might hold the lead in the FedExCup. Whatever he does in this game may or may not be wonderful things , however, he will always be rooted in the knowledge that he has battled back to the top of the game twice.
It is a portion of his story that he is not reticent to discuss. He is aware that it will encourage others and show support for what he has accomplished.
“Although it seems like a lifetime ago, I always think about it. It was very nice to look back on it and reflect on it, and it makes me appreciate what I’m doing a lot. It’s just crazy sometimes walking up the 18th hole here today and just thinking about how I don’t know if that would have happened if it weren’t for those four holes in a row.” Homa stated on Friday as regards the four closing birdies he made on Friday.
Some people enjoy fame for a short while, while others do so for a lifetime. Homa will enjoy the voyage and see what it has in store, whatever it is. It might result in a FedExCup victory.
