Max Homa Surges on Back Nine to Win 2021 Fortinet Championship

Max Homa Surges on Back Nine to Win 2021 Fortinet Championship

 

 

NAPA, CA - In picturesque Wine Country, something sweet was fermenting. 

 

It was Max Homa's golf game, coming to full fruition on the back nine at Silverado Country Club. The Burbank, CA native has won the 2021 Fortinet Championship with a score of 19-under, one stroke ahead of 36-hole leader Maverick McNealy.

 

This is Homa's third PGA Tour win and his first since the 2021 Genesis Invitational. Aside from a $1.26 million paycheck, Homa becomes fully exempt on the PGA Tour for the rest of the season through to the 2023-2024 season. He also secures a spot in the Sentry Tournament of Champions (next season), The Players Championship, The Masters and the PGA Championship.

A BACK NINE MOMENTUM SWING: HOMA SURGES, MCNEALY FALLS

At the start of the back nine, the storylines were much different.

 

McNealy, in the final group, made the turn at 17-under whereas Homa, in the second-to-last group, made it at 14-under.

 

McNealy, calm and poised as ever, seemed to be cruising on his way to his first PGA Tour win. On the other hand, Homa bogeyed the 10th hole to drop him further away from McNealy and a potential victory.

 

But then, things changed, in Homa's favor, on the short par 4 12th hole. Homa's tee shot found the first cut of fairway rough, 96 yards from the hole. With birdie prospects looking slim, Homa swung his wedge, landed the ball perfectly on the green, and watched it roll in for an eagle, shooting him two spots up the leaderboard.

This was the wake-up call that Homa needed, as he would go on to make an incredible birdie putt on the par 4 13th, to tie McNealy for the lead at 17-under. 

 

Fully in contention now, Homa knew exactly what he needed to do. After an excellent approach shot into the par 5 16th hole green, he was left with a tap-in birdie putt. On the 17th, he yet again made birdie with another huge putt. He would par the par 5 18th hole to shoot a 65 on the day.

Amidst the run that Homa was on, McNealy was cruising at 17-under, after a series of pars, until the par 5 16th hole, where he sunk a tricky putt for birdie. A playoff seemed almost inevitable at this point.

But then, things changed, not in McNealy's favor, at the 17th hole, a short par 4. During his pre-shot routine, something seemed off with McNealy's swing, as noted by Golf Channel TV Commentator and 2008 Masters Champion Trevor Immelman. McNealy's tee shot sliced hard right, hitting a tree and dropping straight down, about 190 yards from the hole. He followed this with an approach shot that overshot the green, then a risky flop shot that also overshot the green. After three-putting, McNealy finished the hole with a double-bogey.

At this point, with Homa in the clubhouse at 19-under, McNealy needed an albatross on the par 5 18th hole just to force a playoff. To his credit, he played the hole excellently, missing the albatross approach shot but holing the ensuing eagle-putt, to finish one short.

SILVERADO BITES BACK... A BIT

Sunday saw a tougher golf course at Silverado, compared to previous days. During the morning rounds, the course remained benign albeit foggy, but as the day progressed, the winds picked up and the course became firmer. This made conditions slightly tougher for those higher on the leaderboard, particularly with approach shots into the harder greens. 

 

The low round on Sunday was a 65, shot by Max Homa and Marc Leishman.

 

In his post round interview, Homa credited his caddie for knowing how the course would change as it firmed up, something that certainly aided in his win. 

 

HOW DID ARE PICKS FINISH?

Our hopes were resting on young Will Zalatoris, let's see how he finished.

1) Jon Rahm: CUT

2) Kevin Na: CUT

3) Will Zalatoris: T11 at 12-under

 

Not a bad finish for Zalatoris, great to see that his form from last season has carried over. As we mentioned in our Weekend Update, the bigger concern is Jon Rahm's form and what state it will be in for the Ryder Cup next week. Only time will tell. 

 

***

 

 

And with that, the first tournament of the 2021-2022 PGA Tour season has concluded, and in great fashion. If the 2021 Fortinet Championship is a sign of things to come, we are in for a great PGA Tour season.

Our coverage next week moves to Michigan for what is perhaps the most exciting event in golf: The Ryder Cup from Whistling Straits. We'll be having special coverage for the Ryder Cup, with daily round recaps and a special op-ed article before the tournament. Be sure to follow our Twitter feed as well for live tweets about the event.

 

Stay tuned for all that and much more!

-Nick

Toronto Golf Reviews