Homa gets a grip, snags Fortinet title
NAPA, Calif. — Max Homa’s decision to give up his poplar and often comical golf podcast to concentrate on his game is already paying off.
Homa holed out from the rough from 95 yards for eagle on the par-4 12th to start a back-nine comeback and added three birdies for a 7-under 65 and a one-stroke victory Sunday in the season-opening Fortinet Championship.
“I had full control today,” said Homa, who saved par out of the sand three times. “I had a really good warmup, hit my wedges really well. The only bogey I made was going kind of right at it
so just felt like I had good control. It just feels really nice.”
Three strokes behind Maverick McNealy with seven holes left, Homa followed the eagle with a birdie on the par4 13th. The 30-year-old former University of California player tapped in for another birdie on the par-5 16th and ran in an 18-footer on the par4 17th. He parred the par-5 18th to finish at 19-under 269.
Homa won for the second time this year and the third time on the PGA Tour. He won at Riviera in Los Angeles in February.
His latest victory came a week after Homa ended the “Get A Grip” podcast he co-hosted for nearly two years.
“I loved doing it … but at some point it was not doing my any favors having to regurgitate all the bad things that happened. It wasn’t healthy for me,” Homa said. “My game is getting to the point where it could be really good.”
McNealy shot a 68 to finish second. He birdied the 16th, then made a double bogey on 17 and an eagle on 18. The son of billionaire and former Sun Microsystems CEO Scott McNealy, the 25-yearold player grew up in Palo Alto and starred at Stanford.
“I was pretty good in the morning, but had a few short game mishaps late in the day,” McNealy said. “If I hit that fairway on 17, I’m putting for birdie, it’s a different story.”
Mito Pereira (68) was third at 16 under. Marc Leishman (65) and Talor Gooch (68) followed at 15 under. Masters champion Hideki Matsuyama (66) tied for sixth at 13 under. PGA Championship winner Phil Mickelson (75) was 7 under.
Jim Knous (74) began the day tied for the lead with McNealy, but could never find his rhythm and finished at 12 under. Knous, who has one more start on a medical exemption, landed his opening tee shot into a spectator’s chair and had a triple bogey on No. 14.
Former University of Arkansas golfer Austin Cook (Jonesboro) tied for 11th. Cook shot a 69 on Sunday and finished at 12-under 276.