Max Homa contending again at Fortinet Championship

NAPA, Calif. – Max Homa is making the Fortinet Championship and Silverado Resort & Spa his own personal playground.

The defending champion shot a second-round 67 Friday to reach 12 under par and share the lead with England’s Danny Willett as the afternoon wave of players began the second round.

“I love coming to California,” said Homa, who eagled the par-5 16th hole and made a succession of par saves on the front side, his second nine. “I’ve got a great support system here.”

He also loves the pristine poa annua greens at Silverado. Although he was fractionally off Friday – 6/14 fairways, 10 greens in regulation – he needed just 23 putts. He is 11-for-11 in scrambling and has made just one bogey through two rounds.

Willett, the 2016 Masters champion, shot a second-round 64 and was also at 12 under.

First-round leader Justin Lower, in his second year on the PGA TOUR, shot 71 and is 10 under.

Homa is coming off a career-best two-win season and fifth-place finish in the FedExCup. U.S. Presidents Cup Captain Davis Love III named him among his six picks to join the team that will take on the Internationals at Quail Hollow Club next week.

While he has plenty of reasons to smile, Homa seemed to find even more cause for good cheer in his playing partners, former Cal teammate Michael Kim and Sacramento native Cameron Champ, who won here in 2019. A featured group on PGA TOUR Live, they were seen laughing and carrying on for much of their back nine, even though only Homa played well.

“It was a great group,” he said. “I get along with Cameron really well, obviously get along with Michael really well. It was one of those fun, fun groups, fun couple days. As much as it is competition in golf or whatever, it's nice in between shots to talk and laugh a little bit.”

The merriment only added to the impression of a man completely at ease in his surroundings as he chases his fifth PGA TOUR win.

“Yeah, it fits my eye,” Homa said of Silverado “I think I know what to do when I'm out of position, I think that's quite important. And yeah, when I am in position, it fits me. I hit a lot of wedges, been hitting the wedges really well, so when you get a lot of wedges from these fairways, I feel like I can attack the pins, and when I've been out of position, I just feel like I know where to leave the golf ball.”

He also knows where to eat, apparently. Homa said the restaurants he’s knocked off so far in wine country this week include the highly rated French Laundry, Ad Hoc and Botega. He is not, he added, so under the spell of superstition that he must do all the same things he did – same hotel room, same dining rotation and schedule – in previous victories.

“No, I just go wherever my wife tells me,” Homa said with a smile. “I guess I've kept that the same.”