ARNOLD PALMER INVITATIONAL

March 5, 2022

Max Homa

Bay Hill Club and Lodge

Quick Quotes

Q. Anything interesting happen on your round today?

MAX HOMA: Yeah, that was crazy. Out here it feels super lucky. It's usually lucky. Yeah, it was very cool. The roar was awesome. That's one I won't forget.

Q. Did you talk about picking the club and the whole process of the shot?

MAX HOMA: Yeah, they fortunately moved the tee up. Obviously, it's really firm and fast out there. So we only had a pitching wedge. Scottie hit a great shot like 220 feet left of the hole. We were playing for it to probably land just right of that.

I hit a really nice shot. It started to fall a little bit right. I was trying to hit like a little cut and just put it high up in the air. And I hit it well, and it started to drift right. So I wasn't sure it was going to be all right. Then when it landed, I heard somebody clap, so I knew it was good. I turned around to get a water from some friends I have out here, and then it went crazy.

Yeah, it was just a high cut, full pitching wedge, worked out perfect.

Q. So you didn't see it go in?

MAX HOMA: I can barely see a 30-footer go in I've got such bad eyes. I don't usually watch. I just listen.

Q. How many have you had?

MAX HOMA: I think that's eight.

Q. How are you going to celebrate?

MAX HOMA: I'm going to go try to shoot under par tomorrow. Unfortunately, you finish the hole, and you get to 15, which is the hardest frickin' tee shot maybe out here on TOUR. So you don't really have much time to enjoy in this game.

Yeah, I'll celebrate later. My buddy Neil's getting married today. So maybe I'll convenient mow him some money. I don't know if he has an open bar. If he doesn't, he's probably pretty close now.

Q. Did you enjoy this? It was a really hard test today.

MAX HOMA: Well, enjoy is -- yeah, it was not fun, but it's the right test. Like today was better than yesterday afternoon. Yesterday afternoon was pushing crazy. But it's fun. I mean, I played with a guy who's one of the best players in the world, and he played a really good round of golf and made it look pretty easy.

If you're out of position, you have no chance, but you put yourself out of position. So I think it's quality that's going to separate the field into who played really well, who played well, who played okay, and who didn't play well. I think that's the way golf should be, obviously weather dependent.

I love how the course is playing today. But yeah, I short-sided myself last two holes and I had kind of no chance, and that's how it should be. I hit a bad golf shot.

So obviously, if you have good shots, you can make birdies. I watched Scottie do it all day.

Q. How did the other guys on the tee box react after you made the shot?

MAX HOMA: They were both really excited. Obviously, Joe was really excited. It was funny because the hole prior I hit a good lag putt, I thought, and the wind picked up, and it blew my ball like 12 feet past the hole. I was kind of just spiraling, frustrated about that. So they both said it makes up for what happened on 13.

So Scottie and Teddy are two of the best guys out here. So it was cool to do it with them.

Q. Did they give you high fives? Do you remember what happened?

MAX HOMA: Yeah, Joe yelled, and we kind of chest bumped, I guess, ran into each other. They both gave me a high five. It's funny, last year on that exact same hole on Saturday, Jazz made a hole-in-one in my group. So it was kind of weird.

Q. How about the people on the green when you got up there? Did you hear any comments?

MAX HOMA: I got a huge ovation. It was cool. A loot of people on that green. Obviously, this tournament has a great crowd. A lot of people. Everyone is really cool. You never know how you're going to react, but it was fun to hear everybody cheering.

Obviously, they've been sitting there a minute. Out here you don't see a ton of birdies, so it was probably fun for them to see a one.

Q. Was that your first one on TOUR?

MAX HOMA: Yeah, first one.

Q. Do you remember your first hole-in-one?

MAX HOMA: My home course Chica Vista Valencia in the Mikey Lynn Memorial Tournament. On the 8th hole. It was like 72 yards. I hit a sand wedge. Kicked it off the left fringe, and it rolled into the hole.

Q. How old were you?

MAX HOMA: 9 or 10.

Q. Did you buy drinks? Did you get anything? Did you get a trophy?

MAX HOMA: I got a trophy because I snuck into third. I got a great picture of my buddy who's five years older than me, Eric. At the time, he was like three feet taller than me. I'm so happy with this trophy, and he's so mad he tied a 9-year-old. I have that picture somewhere, or my mom does.

I didn't drink because I had no money. Maybe my dad did, I don't know.

Q. Did you hear from him, or has it been a while?

MAX HOMA: My dad, yeah, I talk to him here and there.

Oh, Eric, yeah, I still talk to him. He knows exactly which picture because I bring it up every time I see him.