Before they turned pro: Max Homa

March 27, 2022 | by AmateurGolf.com Staff

The former Cal Bear and NCAA champ made a habit of setting course records, showing humor and character along the way

Just over five years into his professional career, Max Homa was known as much for his social media prowess as for his golf. A quick wit and an active Twitter feed made the Valencia, Calif. native popular with his peers and with fans, so much so that even Homa himself noticed the imbalance.

"I probably have a fairly large fan base compared to what I deserve for my golf," he told the San Francisco Chronicle in February of 2019.

Not any more.

As if the switch was flipped, Homa broke through less than three months later, winning the Wells Fargo Championship by three shots for his first PGA Tour win. Since then, he has added two more titles, at the 2021 Genesis Invitational and the 2021 Fortinet Championship, to elevate himself to a new level of respect, as a player capable of winning any tournament he enters.

All smiles after a 63
(AmateurGolf.com photo)

We were witness to Homa's potential when, at the age of 20, he shot a course-record 63 at Coyote Creek in Morgan Hill, Calif., to win the AmateurGolf.com Silicon Valley Amateur and set the all-time low scoring mark for an AG Tour event.

At the time, Homa was a sophomore for a Cal Bears team that was on the ascent, and by his senior year was threatening to become an all-time great team. How great? Entering the NCAA Championships, the Bears had won 11 of their 13 tournaments, and were in good shape to capture the national title, topping the 30 teams in stroke play and taking the top match play seed. But they fell in the semis to Illinois and Homa, despite the disappointment, took home the considerable consolation of winning the individual title.

Max Homa, 2013 NCAA champion (Cal photo)

"This is the biggest accomplishment in my life, and it’s not even close," Homa said. "Obviously, the team championship would be much better, but this feels very, very good."

Homa was named a first-team All-American and to the All-Nicklaus Team by the Golf Coaches Association of America. Riding the momentum, he then qualified for the U.S. Open as an amateur and represented the U.S. on a Walker Cup team that defeated Great Britain & Ireland 17-9 at the National Golf Links of America.

Homa's first college victory also offered a glimpse into his character and the perspective he gained from the loss of a childhood friend. While setting a course record at L.A. Country Club en route to a Pac-12 Conference title, Homa wore the high-school basketball jersey of David Stroud, Homa’s friend who passed away at age 19 after a prolonged fight with cancer. The reminders of his friend included marking his ball with Stroud’s No. 25 and wearing a lime-green bracelet that read, “Stroud Strong.”

"It’s about honoring him. It makes me smile because I feel like he’s with me," Homa told Sean Martin of Golfweek at the time. "He was so resilient and positive about everything." No doubt Homa has carried that perspective to this day and will continue to as he searches for his ceiling on the PGA Tour.

Here are some of the stories about Max Homa that have appeared on AmateurGolf.com:

Feb 12, 2019

Alumni Report: Homa's Riviera start a product of hard work

May 20, 2014

Titleist, Project X helps Max Homa wins 1st pro event

Oct 15, 2013

Max Homa logs Top 10 in Frys.com Open

Oct 10, 2013

Homa, Thomas debut at PGA Tour's Frys.com Open

Jun 04, 2013

Max Homa wins SGA Player of the Month

May 31, 2013

NCAA Championships: Homa wins individual crown