SENTRY TOURNAMENT OF CHAMPIONS

January 7, 2023

Max Homa

Plantation Course at Kapalua

Quick Quotes

Q. What went so well today?

MAX HOMA: I don't know. I didn't make any mistakes throughout the day, as far as like kind of the dumb mistakes. Bogeys here and there are going to happen. But it felt like the first two days -- yesterday I was absolutely grooving, hadn't missed a shot and then I kind of half topped one on 9 trying to hit a low one and made double.

I'm trying to work on the idea that, like focus more on all the good things that happen. I had been playing great so I still was able to finish well. But it just is maddening out here when the scores are this low.

So today I just didn't do that. I did a great job. Even on 9, I kind of drop kicked my pitch and got it up-and-down for par. That was a big moment for me.

So the ball went in the hole today. I hadn't really made anything until maybe the back nine yesterday. I don't know how to really explain it. It didn't feel like I played four shots better than my last two days combined, but I did. So it's just not a very good game for your mind. But it was nice to shoot 10-under.

Q. What was the biggest difference in your putting today?

MAX HOMA: My speed was a lot better. I felt like I was a little bit more aggressive. I also just, another kind of weird part about golf, but my putts just felt easier. Like even the one I had on 2, to finally see that go in, oddly enough, that was a big boost. But Joe said it, right after I made it, he said, It's nice to have finally an uphill right-to-left putt that the wind wasn't messing with us. Just to feel comfortable.

Because my stroke feels great. Been putting great at home. I putt fine in the mornings. It's just when you get out there it's just so different. But I had a lot more putts that just felt comfortable. I did great job of making those, but it was just nice to have a few.

Q. Did it feel like you were shooting a low one or was it just almost stress-free?

MAX HOMA: I didn't make anything through 11 holes. But when I got to 12 I kind of this morning I was just kind of thinking about it and I said, I need to finish 8 and 9 better than I had been and I need to play 12 through 18 better.

I played 12 through 18 okay, but I've made a mistake somewhere in there or I just missed a couple putts. Today once I got grooving -- once I made it on 13 I realized it could be quite a good day if I just did what I was supposed to do.

So kept hitting good shots, but it did feel pretty stress-free. Out here the wind, it was a little bit kind of weird on the back. But when the wind is like this and the greens are soft you can dumb your way into a lot of birdies. I felt like I just didn't dumb my way out of them today. So that was nice.

Q. What was the best conversation you and JT had out there?

MAX HOMA: I can never share those. But I did tell him he sounded really cool walking with his speaks from 17 to 18 on the concrete. He said he might wear 'em to the pool today.

Q. What length do you think this course plays? It's like 7,600, 7,700 yards maybe?

MAX HOMA: Oh, man. That's a really interesting question. Because I looked at my driving average this week and it's like 280 something. Which is wild because I've hit like three drives at 400 yards.

So I feel like my short, the uphill holes they go like 220 and downhill they go until they want to stop.

So I don't know. It doesn't feel crazy long. I would say like a 7,200 yard golf course maybe. You hit enough mid irons. But I mean 5 is essentially a par-4. If you just turn that to par 72, I don't know, 7,100, 7,200.

Q. You had a great Presidents Cup. I know that was your first experience with that. Obviously it's been awhile, but is it, is there still some, I don't know, residual bounce from that or just a good feeling?

MAX HOMA: My coach Mark Blackburn said it great. In stroke play events, even some of the better players in the world unless you're like the top 5, you don't really have a highlight reel in your head of like great moments. But when you get to play match play and play in a Presidents Cup or Ryder Cup where there's a lot of huge moments and you do okay, even if you don't win matches you make putts that you can like build your own highlight reel.

That week for me I had a bunch of 'em. Great moments throughout all four of my matches.

So I don't think I'm still like bouncing around from it, but I definitely feel like I gained a lot of confidence and gained a lot of things to reflect on in a good way.

Most tournaments, unless you win it, you end up hating on something you did. And in that one, even if you just won one match or whatever, won a hole, you can kind of ride that out a little bit.

Q. Could I ask your opinion on a couple things?

MAX HOMA: Sure.

Q. Do you think the name of this tournament needs to change?

MAX HOMA: Oh, the Tournament Of Champions? Yeah, I guess.

Q. Do you have a solution?

MAX HOMA: Being literal it would not be accurate. Do I have a solution? No, I'm not a solution guy, I'm a complain guy.

Q. No matter what happens on the schedule going forward next year, do you think it's good to keep the format of match play somewhere on the schedule?

MAX HOMA: Yeah, I do. I think it's really interesting. I think the formatting of the Match Play event in itself it gets a lot of blow back, but I think that's just the golf community.

I liked 64 and just run it through like March Madness. Although for TV that's not ideal.

I really like the format now. It's just always going to be different and awkward, I guess, when you have that many guys. And if you lose two of those matches you're effectively out.

So I would like to keep seeing match play a part of at least one event that we play in. It is really cool.

Like I said, getting to play Presidents Cups and Ryder Cup, like that's the excitement is somebody wins a hole and loses a hole. So I'm glad that we're still playing it.

As far as the formatting of that goes, I'm not sure. I like what they're doing right now. It seems the best for to -- we keep telling everybody, it's an entertainment product we need everybody to watch and it seems entertaining.

Q. How did you do in Match Play? I don't know what your record is.

MAX HOMA: I've lost in a playoff and then Billy won the whole thing to get out of pool play. And then last year same thing. Didn't lose in a playoff.

Q. But you've never gone to Friday with a completely meaningless match and asked yourself, What am I doing here?

MAX HOMA: No, I've effectively been okay.