On Friday, Max Homa defied logic.
The PGA Tour pro showed up at this week’s Bank of Utah Championship fresh off a $28,105 payday from the Baycurrent Classic in Japan.
Homa’s rounds at Black Desert Resorts were impressive, but what truly surprised the crowd and fans was his revelation that he was battling injury pain — yet still managed to shoot a bogey-free 66 on Friday.
The Californian, who finished day two at 6-under par, revealed that his pain stemmed from a “pretty good-sized bone spur” on the top of his right ankle. The discomfort intensified as he walked down a small hill on the 12th hole.
“As we were walking down the fairway on 12, I could feel it getting swollen. Then when we were done on 12, it was very, very tender. Then I don’t know, just not a good golf course to walk. Walking uphill is really hard because I can’t flex it, so that sucked.”
It’s not something Homa wasn’t aware of about his body. He shared having “planned on getting it taken out when we have a little bit of time off.”
But on Friday, as the pain intensified, Homa drew motivation from his wife.
“I kept thinking about my wife had a horrendous birth with our first son, and she had major, major surgery, and there is just no way I could complain about a hurt ankle while I walked. That one really — she gets me through a lot. She couldn’t look at me the same.”
The 34-year-old explained how he often overthinks his golf swing, which gets in the way of his performance. Surprisingly, the injury helped him in this regard by distracting him from overanalyzing his game.
“I don’t remember thinking about really anything much—just get it through. Get it to the house. If I hit a bad shot but it was in play, I was happy with it,” Homa expressed as quoted.
The six-time PGA Tour winner has faced a tough season with no wins so far, extending his winless streak to over two years. On top of that, he faced several challenges in adjusting to changes in his coach, caddie, and clubs.
Still, when reflecting on his injury and pain, Homa downplayed calling it “nothing” and “just more of a pain.”
Unlike some of his peers, Homa doesn’t have to scramble this fall to secure his status for 2026. He has several years of exempt status remaining, giving him some breathing room as he works through these challenges.
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