Max Homa’s golfing career appears to be spiralling downward, as evidenced by his dismal performance at the PGA Tour’s Arnold Palmer Invitational. While the Cognizant Classic was a triumphant tournament for many, with Joe Highsmith clinching his first-ever PGA Tour title and Jordan Spieth rolling back the years with a stellar performance, Homa was a notable absentee, and his absence did nothing to stem his rapid fall in the Official World Golf Rankings (OWGR).
Highsmith’s victorious performance propelled him to the 59th spot in the OWGR. J.J. Spaun also rose 25 ranks to 56th, while Spieth saw a six-position boost to 64th. Homa, once a formidable name on the PGA Tour, slipped three positions to 66th. His professional trajectory appears to be on a downward spiral.
Despite not participating in the Cognizant Classic, Homa’s woes were highlighted during the Arnold Palmer Invitational, where he registered nine bogeys and a double bogey on Day 1. Despite making birdies on the 9th and 11th holes, Homa found himself languishing at the bottom of the leaderboard, only ahead of Cameron Young with a score of 9 over par. His scorecard certainly did not reflect the prowess that Homa was once renowned for.
Bob Harig, a writer for Sports Illustrated, took to social media to express his concern about Homa’s dismal performances. He pointed out that Homa’s struggles were persisting, having missed the cut in his last two starts and falling to 66th in the OWGR. If this trend continues, Homa’s professional ranking is likely to plummet even further, much to the dismay of his fans.
Homa’s underwhelming season has not gone unnoticed by golf aficionados. The 34-year-old has failed to meet the expectations he had set previously, missing the cut line at both the WM Phoenix Open and the Genesis Invitational, and scoring a combined 10 over par. He also withdrew from the Farmers Insurance Open after just one round.
Some fans have been harsh in their criticism of Homa, with one even suggesting that the OWGR is flawed as Homa is not even a top 150 player. Homa’s lackluster performances this season have led some to question his association with Lululemon, the apparel company which named him as their brand ambassador earlier this year. One fan wondered how the company justified its multimillion-dollar endorsement deal with Homa given his current form on the course.
In stark contrast to his current form, Homa was a tour de force in the 2021-23 period, winning 5 events. Despite the slump, Homa remains optimistic about overcoming this rough patch. It remains to be seen whether Homa can stage a comeback and post a competitive score, or if this season will mark the beginning of the end of his career.
