Homa rallies in San Diego
Max Homa did what his beloved Los Angeles Dodgers couldn’t do in October — win in San Diego.
The L.A.-area native and Cal alum came from five shots off the lead to win the PGA Tour’s Farmers Insurance Open by two strokes over Keegan Bradley on Saturday at Torrey Pines, where Jon Rahm imploded early and missed a shot at winning his third straight start and moving to No. 1 in the world.
Homa reeled in Sam Ryder, who was trying for a wire-towire win, and then held off Bradley and fellow Cal alum Collin Morikawa for his sixth PGA Tour victory and fourth in his home state. He took the Genesis at Riviera in 2021 and has won the Fortinet Championship in Napa in consecutive years.
Homa closed with a 6-underpar 66 to finish at 13-under 275. He made a 4-foot birdie putt on No. 18 and pumped his right fist before greeting wife Lacey and infant son Cam just off the green.
Homa was born in Burbank and lives in Valencia just north of L.A. He’s a fan of the Lakers and Dodgers, who lost to the Padres in the NL Division Series, with the clincher coming in San Diego. Homa said he heard plenty of smack talk from Padres fans during the week but didn’t respond, although he said his caddie, Joe Greiner, did.
“It’s nice to win up and down the state of California and, you know, carry that L.A. logo on my head and in my heart, me and Joe,” Homa said. “I don’t talk back to anybody in the crowd about the Dodgers-Padres thing, but Joe does. So I enjoy listening to him talking trash back to them.”
While many people know Homa as perhaps the funniest tour guy on Twitter, “I’m a pretty darn good golfer,” he said. “The results help you kind of build that foundation. I mean, I like to say dumb things and make dumb jokes and observe weird stuff and tweet about it. You know, kid, I guess.
“But when I work, when I practice and I play tournaments, this is what I love. I love what today was. It was incredible. So I don’t think anything’s changed too much. The confidence is becoming more steady.”
Bradley also shot a 66 on the South Course. Morikawa shot 69 and finished at 10 under. Ryder shot 75, his worst round of the week, and tied for fourth with Sahith Theegala (70) and Sungjae Im (70) at 9 under.
Rahm shot a 74, his worst round of the week, and tied for seventh at 8-under with Jason Day (68), a two-time Farmers winner. Rahm got his first PGA Tour at Torrey Pines in 2017 and then won the U.S. Open in 2021 at the municipal course that overlooks the Pacific Ocean. Rahm won the American Express at PGA West last weekend and at the Sentry Tournament of Champions three weekends ago at Kapalua.
European tour: Rory McIlroy made eight birdies in a round of 7-under 65 to build a three-stroke lead at the Dubai Desert Classic on Sunday, which will finish Monday after bad weather cut short play on the opening two days.
McIlroy was on 15-under overall, with English players Callum Shinkwin (67) and Dan Bradbury (68) tied for second.