MASTERS TOURNAMENT

April 4, 2022

Max Homa

Quick Quotes

Q. Max, how's the golf course playing so far out here on this Monday?

MAX HOMA: The fairways are very soft, but the greens are super firm. So it's kind of playing a little longer with the greens really bouncy, which would obviously make it about as hard typically as it could get.

Obviously, we have a lot of rain coming at least the next day, so I imagine it's going to get a little softer. It's phenomenal right now. It would be ready to play the tournament if tomorrow was Thursday.

Q. What do you think of the changes?

MAX HOMA: I love them. This is the trickiest place ever. I came here a month and a half ago, and if you didn't tell me much changed, I would have only noticed 11. I'm glad I came out. I got to learn the little nuances that they switched around.

This place is incredible how subtle they can make differences. You'd hardly notice, and you'd probably get in the tournament and notice why is this happening? Somebody tells you later, oh, yeah, we sunk the tee box down five yards, and it would just go right over your head.

Q. I saw you out on 11 today where you hit that drive. What were you trying to do there, and what are your thoughts kind of on how you're driving?

MAX HOMA: I was glad I hit over there today just to see -- when I was here a month and a half ago, I hit it over there, but I was further back so I was able to go high and right and hook one over the trees and hit the green. Today noticed that -- I was trying to go under the tree and hit a little hook, and I thought maybe I could land it at the front edge of the green, and it shot up.

We kind of were talking how kind of that second shot over there is on a little bit of an upslope and it's really hard to keep the ball down. If you're going to hit that shot, I think you need to hit a lot of club and hit a very low shot, which is going to run to the left into the water, and then obviously most people would end up just missing it right.

I think that's going to be a really fun shot, not just this year, but for the coming years. You're going to see a lot of different ways to play it. And you're going to see someone who is bold enough to take it on, hit a great shot, but a lot more people bailing to the right side.

Q. It looked like you were working with Phil Kenyon yesterday. Is that something that's been going on, or is it new?

MAX HOMA: It's new. You have a good eye. Definitely new. I've been talking about hopefully setting something up. He was going to meet me in New Orleans, but yesterday he wasn't doing anything and I was just practicing. That was nice of him to give me some time, but a new one for me.

Q. Do you think that's something you're going to do going forward?

MAX HOMA: Yeah, I'm going to explore it going forward. I hit the ball well the last two years, but my putting is just so streaky. Joe and I and Mark talk about, if there's something that's going to propel us to that top ten in the world number, the putting just needs to be cleaner.

The stats have been fine this year, it just hasn't been great, hasn't been awful for the first time. Typically, it's either great or awful. I'm looking to be just a shade more consistent. I think that's kind of going to be my thing going forward. So hopefully explore it a bit, like I said, in New Orleans again.

Q. Max, you were obviously at Riviera when Tiger was there. Surprised at all he's here and competing in a major?

MAX HOMA: I'd be surprised if it was anyone else that's ever lived. So, no, I'm not surprised. I am amazed. It is a true testament to his work ethic because we all know what he does on the golf course, how hard he works, and the stories and the legend. But sitting there and doing all that PT is -- that's got to be just boring at the very least, let alone hard.

It reminds me of like the documentary The Muse with Kobe Bryant after he pops his Achilles. It's just him picking up marbles with his toes and putting it in, and he's doing it way more than anyone else would do. That's what I imagine Tiger is doing, just like the most reps you possibly can to get ready. It's remarkable really.

Q. Can he compete out there?

MAX HOMA: Yeah, it's Tiger Woods.

Q. Did you say what you hit on 15 today?

MAX HOMA: No, I hit 6-iron.

Q. What were you hitting in years past?

MAX HOMA: November, I hit a 3-iron. We had a downwind today -- no, I hit a 6-iron there last year too. We had the best wind you could have on that hole today to get it there.

They raised the right side of the fairway, so I actually think it's going to play a bit longer, and they sunk the tee box down a bit. So it's going to play a little bit longer, but today wasn't a good test of it just because we had it straight downwind.