Max Homa Climbs The Mountain Again

Once upon a time — February of 2023, to be precise — I wondered if Max Homa might be the third best player in the world. You can read those musings here.

It’s obvious, in retrospect, I was a bit out over my skis. That happens on social media sometimes, which is honestly one of the few things that makes it fun, making predictions and dunking on them if they don’t come true. It made for an entertaining debate. It might seem silly now, but it didn’t really feel that way in 2023. Homa had risen to fifth in the world ranking. He was coming off a great performance in the Presidents Cup. He just won the Farmers. In the moment that I posed the question, he was locked in a tight battle with Jon Rahm at Genesis. He didn’t win, but put up a hell of a fight. He was playing better than anyone outside of Rahm and Scottie Scheffler. It might have felt like a heater, but for 59 weeks, he was a top 10 player in the world. 

It was real, and every bit of it felt earned. 

That said, it’s obvious (in retrospect) I was doing a bit of wishcasting. I doubt there was ever a moment when he was actually better than Rory McIlroy or Bryson DeChambeau. I wanted it for Homa because I enjoyed his personality — his honesty, his humor, his humility, and his tenacity. It was also great for golf to have someone so human near the top of the game, especially someone who struggled early in his career, even losing his PGA Tour card in 2017. 

In 2026, Homa is in a very different spot. He’s 52nd in the FedEx Cup Standings, and he’ll need a two-way tie for 25th this week in Memphis if his season is going to continue. The stakes are not the Masters or the Ryder Cup, but if he can claw his way into the top 50, he’ll make it into all the signature events for 2027. There is a lot at stake at this point in his career. 

I know the last three years have been humbling for Homa. He’s changed coaches, equipment, sponsors, and caddies as he’s tried to find his way back. His personality has also made him a target for plenty of schadenfreude as his struggles have multiplied. But there is something I’ve admired about it all. He has never whined or made excuses for his woes. Sure, Homa has benefitted from a few sponsor exemptions, but he’s also put in the work, week after week, knowing good results might not be immediate. He even left behind the distraction and cesspool that is Twitter, which makes him smarter than most of us. 

I have no idea what might happen next. No predictions this time. But if Homa does sneak inside the top 50, it’s a testament to his willingness to tear it down and rebuild everything after he bottomed out last year and finished 111th. 

He’s not back to where he was, obviously. But he’s climbing the mountain again. If he somehow comes all the way back, it will definitely feel earned.