THE PRESIDENTS CUP

September 20, 2022

Max Homa

Quail Hollow Club

Press Conference

Q. So you've got 12 guys on the U.S. team. If you had driver, iron play, short game, and putting, if you had to build your ideal match play player from the U.S. team, who would you pick for each spot. You can 100 percent pick yourself. How would you build your perfect match play player?

MAX HOMA: That's tough. I guess I want a driver like Cam, Cam Young, irons like Collin, short game like Jordan, putt it like Sam, I think. That would be a good player.

Q. Why don't you pick yourself for any of those?

MAX HOMA: They're just better at me than those. You said ideal.

Q. How do you feel, coming off of now, what, 48 hours from your latest victory?

MAX HOMA: Good. This is all crazy. I feel good. I'm still a little tired. I got a little more sleep last night, but I am looking forward to, I think, by tomorrow morning, I'll feel great. Yeah, feel good. It's awesome. Awesome thing to have them before coming to do this. It's just been -- whether I won or lost, I was going to be really happy to be here. It's been a great week already.

Q. Do you feel like this is crystallizing you arriving to the place you wanted to get to? I mean, you talked about wanting to be on a U.S. team. You talked about wanting to win, be a top 20 player in the world. Now you're here. What is that like to experience?

MAX HOMA: It's a bit eerie because it took so long. It's interesting, I turned pro the same time J.T. did. We would play a lot of golf, compete against each other a lot. He did it the linear way. So I've watched him play on all these teams so much.

For whatever reason, he's the one I felt the closest kind of maybe envy not in a bad way. Like I was -- I saw what could have been, and what looked so fun and why we work so hard. Mine took so long to happen.

So now that I'm here, it doesn't feel that crazy to be here. So that's good. But it does feel like, I guess, a crystallizing how I would have pictured it when I was younger.

Q. Is there any silver lining to experiencing it the way you did instead of the way he did? You had an entourage, everybody saying congratulations, happy for you, hey, champ, are you doing. Does it make it more fun knowing you're coming off that win, coming into this situation as a high?

MAX HOMA: Yeah, I guess it hasn't been ideal for preparation because, you know, I didn't -- it was a pretty crazy Sunday night. Got in super late.

But it was ideal in the sense that I wanted to make sure I came here with my game feeling good and some confidence, and I do have that going for me. So, yeah, all in all, I was going to play the week prior to the Presidents Cup, I would like to win it. I did, fortunately, so that's good.

I just wanted to make sure my game felt good so I could represent my country as best I could and help these guys get as many points as we can.

Q. Tough Sunday night. Great to see your captain show up at the airport, get you off the plane.

MAX HOMA: I'm honestly, it was incredibly nice of him. It was 2:00, 2:30 in the morning. He helped us with all our bags, showed us to our room. He didn't need to do that. It was very, very nice. It goes to show what type of guy he is. Obviously, amazing golfer, great captain, but very, very great human being.

Q. Do you think it's within the realm of possibility that the U.S. scores so many points that Sunday is essentially a victory lap?

MAX HOMA: I think it's within the realm of possibility that either team could do that. Because it's possible.

Q. (Indiscernible).

MAX HOMA: This is the most validating, I think by a decent amount. Wins are great. I have never won a Major where all of us played together, every great player plays together.

And the Tiger pairing was amazing, but people choose that. This one, you can't really fake. So this one was cool. These team things are really hard to get on. I'm not sure. I thought I played a really good two year, year and a half and the last three months I didn't play well. I, like, looked at the 12 guys that got picked, and, I mean, Sam Burns wasn't one of them because Scottie got in. That's crazy.

I mean, this year Harris was hurt. That was like Harris is an amazing golfer. So these things are hard to make. So this is definitely the most validating step for sure.

Q. Davis was saying leading up to the last couple of months, you've been maybe the fly at the picnic. I want to be on the team. I want to be on the team.

MAX HOMA: I never texted him that. Don't let him do that. Maybe one joke on Twitter.

Q. You talk about how hard it is to be on this team. How special is this for you, this week?

MAX HOMA: Yeah. I think it's important to voice how important it is to you because, I don't know, because it's good to be honest about how you feel about this. Like this isn't -- I guess maybe it's because I'm older now. This isn't just something you assume that is going to happen. It's very cool, especially, like, this whole -- this is the craziest thing I've ever seen, this media room.

So, like, it's just all this stuff that you build up in your head. So I wanted to at least make sure people knew, like, this is what I want to happen.

But yeah, it's been on my mind. It was my main goal for the season. And that's, like, the motivating thing. I always say when we get tired or it gets hot in Arizona, look at my palms. Yeah, Presidents Cup is the goal. There's your motivation. So it's been fun having this to chase. To finally be here feels a little bit surreal.

Q. Being here at this particular golf course, you've obviously had success here. Does that kind of carry over for a player, even though they changed the routing of the course? Or does that even matter.

MAX HOMA: I think familiarity helps a lot, especially considering yesterday, like, I was very tired and I didn't have to play very many holes. I don't need to see a lot of the holes. It's weird being Bermuda. I know what I hit on every hole. I know my lines, I know my misses. That's the benefit to me. I know that I can -- today and yesterday, don't need to grind the golf course. It's going to help me get a little energy back by Wednesday, Thursday.

Q. How is your energy? Obviously had a pretty successful weekend. So, I mean, that certainly is a booster to anybody coming in. Have to leave that aside. It's a different game this week.

MAX HOMA: I'll be great this week. I go to sleep at 3 the first night and wake up at 7. Today, last night, got my first kind of full night's sleep. But it's west coast to east coast so I still felt kind of odd today. Usually takes me two days going west to east. Tomorrow, I'll feel great. I'm very much looking forward to tomorrow morning.

Q. Remember in that Sunday, what was it?

MAX HOMA: Yeah.

Q. There was the rain delay. How many times have you come back and replayed that day? Man, if I didn't come out after that rain delay and finish that off, what happens after that, because everything started to fall in order after that day.

MAX HOMA: Yeah, it was weird. I remember I didn't know what the scores were when we went into the rain delay. I had six feet for par. When we were walking back out, Joe told me we were at 3 or something like that, which almost shocked me. I assumed I was winning, but I didn't know. I didn't think I was winning by that much.

But I think I would have won the golf tournament regardless what happened. As long as I didn't get struck by lightning at that point. I was playing well. It was cool that I had to go do the rain delay, come back out and hit that putt because that putt is something I've leaned on ever since that's happened. That's the most nervous you can be. You sit there for two hours thinking about a six-footer and, you know, if you miss that, things could get going one way. Obviously, you make it, and it feels like it's going to be a bit more of a cake walk coming home.

It was a weird weekend, a lot of rain, playing with Rory. It was an odd couple of days.

Q. Trying to fend off (indiscernible)?

MAX HOMA: We still joke about that. All jokes aside with Joel, he's one of my closest buddies and an amazing golfer. That Sunday, we'd never been in that spot. We were walking. There was a big wait on the par 5, and Justin Rose, Rory and Pat Perez and all these guys. Just like Dufner, all these guys that won big golf tournaments and done great things. And as they're walking up to the tee, Joel's playing well. Justin and Rory walk by us, weren't doing anything good. I said, is this really going to be me and Joel out of this group of amazing golfers? That was fun.

Q. When you think of great upsets in sports, what does your mind go to?

MAX HOMA: I mean, other than golf, I guess Cavs coming down back from 3-1 to the Warriors. Lakers losing to the Pistons. Literally any time the Dodgers lose in the last decade I've ever watched.

Q. (Indiscernible).

MAX HOMA: Maybe because I've never been on one of these, I cannot imagine being overly confident. We've all played golf for so long. Any time we're home or on the practice round, I'm pretty sure almost everyone plays a match. And one day of golf in match play is -- it's difficult, and you have to play great. Doesn't matter who you're playing. I'm sure everybody is nervous and excited and preparing like we would for a normal golf tournament or our regular golf tournament.

So I truly can't imagine being overconfident. The international team is great, and a lot is being made about this, being the favorite or whatever, but golf doesn't really allow for that. Golf course setup and everything is a big deal. So they have a great team. We have a great team. I think it will be a really good golf tournament.

Q. How do you like the golf course with the re-routing of the Green Mile and then --

MAX HOMA: Obviously, it's so cool having 15 to 18, really, but especially Green Mile, 16 to 18, at the end of the tournament, you know. Like for the regular PGA events here. But for the match play, it's really cool they're doing this, because you want to play those holes. They're great golf holes. They're very hard. So I think you that's going to be cool.

It's a little awkward going from 8 now to 9. But it doesn't change much. I mean, as long as we're getting those exciting holes, you know, those things about great competition, the fans, and, you know, you got to show those holes. So it will be -- it's great that they did what they did.

Q. Max, really important question. What time is it in your world right now?

MAX HOMA: What time is it? I think we're 1:40. My world is 1:40 right now. Yesterday, I could have made up any number. It was midnight for, like, seven hours to me.

Q. You've gotten some rest?

MAX HOMA: I'm getting there, yeah.

Q. Getting back to where it all started from a win standpoint from you, reflect back on what's happened the last three years to come to this point. What comes to mind?

MAX HOMA: Oh, man. I guess a lot of hard work and belief from a lot of different people. That's been cool. It's not just me. It's a lot of people helping me. It's a big team thing, and it's been really fun to look back on and appreciate what's going on.

Q. When you start winning on tour, most people say, all right, well, when's he going to win a maje when's he's going to get in Presidents Cup. When is he going to get in a Ryder Cup? Are those thoughts you're now having?

MAX HOMA: I guess, yeah. I'm confused why I haven't played better in the Majors, but I'm glad that that's my concern and not why I'm not making cuts. So I definitely think those are good thoughts, I guess, to have, and I'm early on in them.

But, yeah, that's definitely something -- that's what's so cool about this game. You're always going to get better, and there's always an area that's going to show you you're not very good at.

Q. Have you come down from the high of winning?

MAX HOMA: Yeah.

Q. Very interesting way to finish the tournament?

MAX HOMA: I'm still confused as to what happened. What's so great about these things, you come here. You go to a TOUR event, you're by yourself a lot, and you are kind of on a high. It's more time to be on your phone. Very fortunate I have a lot of people to congratulate me and text me. It's been great.

When I'm in this, I'm so happy to be around these guys, you know, not spending time reliving what happened. I get to hang out with Jordan and Scottie and Justin and Sam and all the guys, you know. Kind of brings me back to what you should be doing.

I'm still very happy about what happened on Sunday, but I'm very much engulfed in what we're doing.

Q. Are you aware that the ranking criteria has changed?

MAX HOMA: I am aware that it changed. Yeah, I like it. I think it's more uniform now. Like it's just who are the best, you know, based on the rankings, who gets points. There's no, like, flagship events anymore, which I think is probably appropriate.

I will say I don't know enough to tell you, like, the ins and outs of it. It's ideal. But from the crux that I've learned about it, I think it's good.

Q. That leads to the question, because golf is petitioning hard to get World Ranking points. They sent a letter today to Peter Dawson. Simply, should they get World Ranking points?

MAX HOMA: I think it's up to the OWGR. I don't think it's up to an opinion. I was thinking about this the other day. If us four went out, and we're four very good golfers, we went out and played, that's four great golfers. We've got 48 of them in my home club, and I put on a golf tournament, do we get World Ranking points?

If the OWGR decides they get World Ranking points that's great. I have no problem with them getting ranking points. To my eye, it seems like they should get World Ranking points. You can't just we should get them. You can't just say, as I read on Instagram, the number 1 and 2 best players in the world competed against each other, great. That's what the thing's for. I hope for them that it does go through and they get World Ranking points. It seems like if 48 great golfers play in tournament, week in and week out, to my eye, should get points. But there is a criteria. That's how the world works.

Q. How badly you wanted to make this team. Trevor Immelman has had to deal with the other side of the guys who chose not to play on the team. Do you feel for him in his process as captain?

MAX HOMA: Yeah, he was put in a weird spot. This is everyone's main thought each year to make their team. So I can't imagine, you know, the kind of ebbs and flows he's had to go through. But like I said, we saw -- their team's awesome. You see some names you expected to see if you started the year 2022 without knowing what was going to happen. But I'm sure he's, you know, done a great job.

But, yeah, I imagine it was -- it would be a decent amount of, like, chaos on his end.

Q. People associate you with new golf energy. This is an awesome platform for that. How much are you looking forward to maximizing that on this stage and what that can do for the sport and for, maybe, growing the fan base?

MAX HOMA: I don't know if I'm the best energy on the golf course. I've been referred to as more boring in real life. I think of funny things. But, yeah, I don't know if -- I'll ever have the swag and the cool factor to run around on the green like Tiger and do fist bumps. I think about it and never do it and just wave.

But yeah, being here and being associated with guys cool enough to do that kind of stuff is awesome, and, you know, I hope the game of golf always grows up. I'm going to do my absolute best to always do that. I just don't know if I'm -- people say like the new, young -- I'm 31. I'm one of the oldest ones out here. People didn't know who I was because I was terrible.

So people are always associating me with Will and Cam. I'm considerably older than them. I'm like a touchdown older than them. So I'm happy to be out here and do my best to be the average guy's golfer, I think.

Q. Xander is a guy in a similar vein, where there's not a lot outward for us to know or understand. How do you kind of describe Xander? What's unique or different about him?

MAX HOMA: It's funny, in this game, you're supposed to be calm and even-keeled, and he's perfect at it. Almost, in a way, gets ridiculed for not being fun. But that's not -- he's an amazing golfer, and he's a very fun guy. But that's how he plays golf, and I love his game. I love him. I love his demeanor. Like it's amazing. Him and his caddie, Austin, are two of the best people out here.

So it's really cool. It's really cool watching him do his thing. But it is a shame that it almost, like, deters from his notoriety. Not that he cares. But, you know, you want your friends and those people who deserve it to get kind of the acclaim that they deserve. And he's an amazing player.

Q. Is he kind of underrated generally, do you think?

MAX HOMA: If you're probably a common golfer that watches more so for the young energy, I guess, you're probably not going to know as much about him. But he's played really well in a lot of really, really big tournaments.

Q. (Indiscernible). What do they bring to the team now?

MAX HOMA: A lot. They're two great people that watch what they're doing. And they are two people -- at least for me, maybe being around them, when they talk, I listen. So respecting guys with work ethic and their game. It's awesome.

Q. Why do you feel that way about them?

MAX HOMA: Why? I just know them and they're really good dudes, and I watch them play golf so anything they're doing, you'd like to maybe be a sponge a little bit. And then they played in a lot of these. That helps a lot. I remember Patrick Rodgers had played, and it was nice having a teammate that played in one of those. Having someone your age was different because we had competed against each other since we were kids. So having these two helps a lot.

Q. Max, what does it mean to you to play in this event? How is it different than arriving at a regular tournament?

MAX HOMA: Yeah. I think I've been kind of saying that it means a lot to represent a country and be with these guys and all that. I don't say that lightly. It means a lot. Wearing the red, white, and blue is an honor. There's some extra that comes with setting a goal, putting your head down and accomplishing that goal.

That, to me, is where I got the most kind of like -- you get the goosebumps with the red, white, and blue. You get the pride. But there's something about accomplishing something you want to do that hits a little bit different.

Q. You find yourself kind of renumbering (indiscernible).

MAX HOMA: Yeah, I'll never get good at it. I hope I do something cool and somebody asks me what happened on so-and-so hole, because I will not know what hole it is. We tried to do it last night, and I had to say the regular number 14. I play this course too many times to be able to renumber them in my head.

Q. I asked the two captains to build their two teams in basketball. You were picked in a starting five.

MAX HOMA: I'd be in the starting five, yeah. I have no extra comment. In this 12, I would be in the top five. I would smoke Kevin Kisner all day, every day.

Q. Last question, what is your AIM first name?

MAX HOMA: Oh, man, that's not a good one. Oh, man, so embarrassing. It was -- I think it was Next Tiger Woods 59. So sick, dude. Met so many girls off that.

Q. You talked about the team dynamic and the camaraderie. Allow yourself to look around and feel like these are the good old days. Are you letting yourself enjoy these guys' company or is it all business?

MAX HOMA: Totally enjoying their company. These are guys I really get along with. Golf is so weird, you don't get to spend a lot of time. I don't live in Florida. Arizona, Tony's there. He's got like a 700-person family. He's got better things to do than hang out with me. Sam Burns is one of my favorite people. My wife and his wife get along really well. We hang out. He lives in Louisiana. I don't see him that often. At tournaments, you can only do so much. Morikawa, literally, everybody on the team, it's so awesome to see them and get to hang out with them because, like, these are guys I really respect and enjoy being around.

Q. Continuing that lighter note, if you could choose any animal to be, who would you be and why?

MAX HOMA: Oh, an animal? I would be my dog because my dog lives a much better life than I.

Q. On a more serious note, as a rookie, do you feel like there's any more pressure to you being here compared to the guys who have done this before?

MAX HOMA: Probably, but I'm going to spin it as we know no better and may better do well. So no, I'm going to go with no.

Q. (Indiscernible).

MAX HOMA: Maybe to win. Play so we can win.

Q. Has there ever been conversation by your team or yourself to play a fantasy golf situation, who would play (indiscernible).

MAX HOMA: I think we've been very focused on the 12 Americans beating the 12 internationals. So that hypothetical will have to stay hypothetical for a little while, at least up until this week is done.

Q. Maybe a follow-up on that, would there be anybody on the American side that you really enjoy playing this week? Inverse, anybody on the international side you would relish the plans to play against, some history?

MAX HOMA: It's been fun playing with Tony this week. I love Tony. We get along. He's crazy good at golf. I played with him, Cam Young and Collin Morikawa. I know Collin well and we hang out a lot. I enjoy his time. Getting to know Cam and hanging with Tony is cool.

I would like to at least -- Joe Scott is one of my best friends, caddieing for Tom this week. I'd love to be in that group, because bleeds the red, white and blue, and he's got the international. We can give him grief about that. He's been on all these teams so many times. It's funny giving him a little bit because he's wearing different clothes.

Q. Do you agree with the idea to excel at professional golf, you've got to be selfish?

MAX HOMA: I do not. (Indiscernible) not in the grand scheme.

Q. What do you mean the grand scheme?

MAX HOMA: Selfish has a negative connotation. I understand maybe you've got to do your own thing at times, but something about the selfish thing, I've heard some people say that. I think that they (indiscernible) inconsiderate to other peoples' time. I would still like it to be a team feel, you know. My caddie is dead tired or something, my coach wants to do X and I want to do something, I like to consider all the options. Not saying that that's what everybody means by selfish, but sometimes that's how I feel.