(Los Angeles) After letting a golden opportunity slip away on the 18e green Sunday, the American Max Homa emerged victorious from the Genesis Invitational Tournament, played at the Riviera Golf Club, in his hometown, defeating his compatriot Tony Finau on the second overtime hole with a par.
Posted on February 21, 2021 at 8:29 p.m.
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Homa completed the final round with a score of 66, five under par. He played the last 26 holes without committing a single bug.
Homa and Finau, who brought in a 64 card, completed the 72 regulation holes with cumulative scores of 272, 12 under par, and one stroke better than American Sam Burns (69).
Australian Cameron Smith was fourth, three strokes behind Homa and Finau, after a final round of 67.
Spaniard Jon Rahm (66), Norwegian Viktor Hovland (67) and Englishman Matthew Fitzpatrick (71) finished the competition tied for fifth place, five strokes behind the top.
Nick Taylor (69) was the best Canadian with a final score of 281, three strokes under par, one stroke better than compatriot Adam Hadwin (70) and two ahead of Mackenzie Hughes (69).
A childhood dream
Homa fulfilled a childhood dream, he who always hoped to win a tournament in the Riviera since the day he, for the first time, attended the event as a kid. He would never have been able to write an ending like the one in which he played the main role.
Homa missed a three-foot putt for a birdie at the 18e hole that would have given him victory. At the first overtime hole, it looked like his hopes were going to fade when he sent his tee shot inches from a tree. He found a way out of his embarrassment to extend the overtime round.
Then he won when his unlucky rival was unable to score par at 14e hole, a par 3, after having sent his tee shot in a sand trap.
As much as it was a heartbreaking defeat for Finau – second for the 10e times since his only victory at the Puerto Rico Open, five years ago – this triumph has generated a torrent of emotions for Homa.
He grew up less than 50 km from the field, in Valencia. He grew up worshiping Tiger Woods, the host of the tournament who presented him with the commemorative trophy. He almost ruined everything with a three-foot putt. Then he left the course with a second triumph on the PGA Tour in his pocket.
“I’ve watched this tournament my whole life,” Homa said, tremolos in his voice.
Wow, I didn’t think it would be like this. […] The city of champions – the Dodgers, the Lakers and now me. The feeling is strange.
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Max Homa
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It was all headed for a fairytale ending for Homa when Burns, who had held the No. 1 spot since the start of the tournament, added up the bugs on the back nine.
It left like belligerent Homa and Finau, who scored a par at 18e for his score of 64, the lowest of the weekend.
Homa landed a six-foot putt for a birdie in the 17e hole, a par 5, to climb to the top of the standings, tied. Then, at 18e, he placed his approach shot for what appeared to be a confident birdie.
Then he missed his roll.
“You’re not supposed to miss a three-foot putt past Tiger Woods,” Homa said. I saw him yesterday [samedi] and I was too scared to go talk to him. But now he forced me to talk to him. ”
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