PGA CHAMPIONSHIP

May 21, 2022

Max Homa

Southern Hills Country Club

press conference

JOHN DEVER: Welcome we are with Max Homa who just carded a third round 70, he's 1-under par for the championship.

You've been right around par all week, steady as she goes, major championship-calibre golf. You have to feel good about how you've played all week on a tough golf course.

MAX HOMA: I've played pretty solid. I really struggled yesterday to hit the ball well for the first nine or ten holes and kind of pieced it together. I guess what you have to do at a major. You're going to not have it for a little bit. So I was proud of that.

Today I played amazing. I just didn't make a putt. Was a little bit frustrating. Feel like I could have easily gotten to 4-under and just let some slip away. For the most part, very happy with how I played today.

Q. You talked about what could have been with regard to the round, 10, especially, I think is probably going to leave a what if type situation; that fair to say?

MAX HOMA: Yeah, 10, 14, 15, just bugged me. I thought I hit good putts. Just struggling to read them a little bit. There's a lot of slope around the holes, and you have to hit them perfect. There's obviously a lot of rocks, and the greens are a little bit bumpy because they are so soft. But that's what makes them easier to get close is they are soft. It's kind of the lesser of two evils I guess.

Haven't got the putter hot since the first nine of the tournament. But it's a major. I did what I'm supposed to do. I kept it around par. I gave myself a lot of opportunities. So hopefully I can do that tomorrow and make a few of them.

Q. Had a chance to absorb the vibe around your gallery, I know you're locked in, but is it nice that that exists, and is it something that you find -- how do you take that? You seem to be a very, very popular guy here at Southern Hills this week?

MAX HOMA: It's amazing, everywhere I go, every week, I feel like I have an amazing support out there. People are cheering my name, and all that stuff is crazy still to me. I really enjoy it. It gives me a boost. Makes me want to go play good and do good stuff because I know people enjoy watching it, which is just a fun change of pace for me from the last two, maybe three years.

It's been cool. It's fun, especially at a major. With lots of big names, hearing my name chanted is pretty awesome.

Q. Does your mentality change that much more from three, four years back?

MAX HOMA: I guess it just keeps me confident knowing that some people are coming out here actually to watch me. I think that means I'm doing something right, and I try to use that as a bit of a confidence boost when I play.

JOHN DEVER: This is a volatile leaderboard right now, you're T-10, can you win this?

MAX HOMA: Yeah, I can win this. If I hit it like I did today, I can win this. I could have gone pretty low today. Obviously I'm going to need some help from the leaders, but at the same time, course is so hard, a birdie jumps you a lot, so you go out there and get real hot, you can do it. It's a tough test. You have to play pretty darned perfect golf out here. But that's the beauty of this place.