Max Homa’s PLAYERS rally hurt by bad break on 12, water ball on 17

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla – Max Homa did not consider what happened to him on Sunday at No. 12 a bad break.

And despite wishing the final few holes at THE PLAYERS Championship could have gone a little differently, he still notched his first top-10 finish at either THE PLAYERS or a major championship.

He just wished the final few holes at THE PLAYERS Championship could have gone a little differently.

Homa, who shot a 3-under 69 in the final round at TPC Sawgrass, blasted a driver from 307 yards and hit the flagstick on the fly on 12. The ball could have gone anywhere after that, but it settled just short of the hazard, about 35 feet away. He rolled his eagle try to 2 feet and tapped in the birdie.

At that point Homa was in the midst of a birdie-eagle-birdie stretch.

“I mean, it was cool as hell. I’ve never hit a pin from 307. So that was sweet,” Homa said of his No. 12 tee ball. “I mean, it would have been nice if it went in, but, I mean, I didn’t really look at it as a bad break.”

Homa couldn’t convert any more opportunities through his final back-nine stretch. He missed a 10-foot birdie try on 13, and a 7-foot birdie attempt on 16. He dunked his tee ball into the water on the par-3 17th, leading to a double bogey.

The six-time TOUR winner said he played 16 with wind slightly down out of the right, so he played the tee shot on 17 slightly in out of the left. He wasn’t sure if the wind switched, but regardless of Mother Nature, Homa ended up wet.

“I thought I hit the shot. I mean, it’s possible adrenaline got me. I flighted it really well. I hit a really good shot, maybe a couple paces left of where I was looking. Never thought that was going to go over the green. But that's kind of the hole,” said Homa. “So, I don't know, that is frustrating because I thought I executed, but that is 17 at THE PLAYERS Championship, I guess.”

Before Homa’s tough break on 17, he was tied for third. He finished at 8 under and ended up tied for sixth.

Homa’s weekend of 67-69 left him with a better result that he could have hoped after starting his week with back-to-back rounds of 72.

He finished tied for 13th at THE PLAYERS last season and said earlier this week that he’s pivoted his mental approach to these big events on the PGA TOUR schedule.

“Confidence is an interesting thing, you know. I think true confidence isn’t fleeting, it just stays. Obviously in golf it has ebbs and flows. But I think that if you’re looking at THE PLAYERS and the four majors this year, for myself personally, I see great opportunity,” Homa said, “and not nearly as much pressure as I think I put on them in the past.”