Max Homa would’ve been apprehensive about being picked for this Presidents Cup. He has no drawback admitting it. He’d spent a lot of the 12 months combating his driver, initially overcoming these demons earlier than having the wheels fall off this summer season with no top-20s from the PGA Championship onward. A season after rating forty first in strokes gained off the tee, Homa slipped to No. 156 this season, forward of simply 13 gamers.
However then the weekend on the BMW Championship occurred.
Having cut up together with his teacher of 4 years, Mark Blackburn, after the FedExCup playoff opener in Memphis, Homa was beating simply two of the 50 gamers at Fort Pines by 36 holes. He misplaced over seven photographs alone off the tee on that Friday. That night, Homa despatched just a few swing movies to a pal, who responded with some recommendation that Homa took with him to the vary the following morning.
Homa made a number of setup modifications and missed simply two fairways in his third spherical whereas rating fifth within the discipline in strokes gained off the tee. He then shot 67 on Sunday to salvage a T-33 end – not nice, however nice for Homa’s psyche.
“I used to be like, OK, I’m not as fearful about my very own sport if I had been to play the Presidents Cup,” Homa mentioned. “So, that did wonders for my confidence and … how comfy I might have been being picked.”
Homa didn’t advance to the Tour Championship the next week, and after ending ninth within the ultimate U.S. level standings, he requested captain Jim Furyk if he ought to preserve working towards or begin his offseason. Furyk didn’t give him a concrete reply, although every week later, Homa acquired the decision he hoped for; he had made the 12-man crew.
Whereas Homa had proven Furyk little type in current months, maybe weighing closely was Homa’s resumé in these crew occasions – Homa’s debut efficiency finally 12 months’s Ryder Cup, the place he went 3-1-1 in Rome and was one of many few American vivid spots, and his maiden Presidents Cup two years in the past at Quail Hole, the place he was an ideal 4-0.
“I don’t suppose [form is] essentially overrated,” Homa mentioned, “however I do suppose expertise on this issues. I’ve confirmed myself, and I’ve proven in these microscope phases I’ve completed fairly effectively.”
Added Xander Schauffele: “In Italy, we had been catching strays your complete week, and Max was type of our knight in shining armor giving us some hope. Pat [Cantlay] made that vast putt in the dead of night there on 18, however apart from that, you have a look at the large level guard, it was Max.”
