JOHN DEERE CLASSIC

July 3, 2025

Max Homa

TPC Deere Run

Quick Quotes

Q. Max, can you talk about the round and how good it feels to have gotten off to this particular start?

MAX HOMA: Yeah, I just did everything really solid. I made a ton of putts. Kept the driver in good spots. Got to take advantage of my iron play, my wedge play.

So just always for me this season started from the tee, and it was plenty good enough today. The rest of my game I think got show how it's felt the last few months without any good results.

Always feels good to get off to a good start when you're struggling, that's for sure.

Q. Does it feel sustainable?

MAX HOMA: I mean, I don't see why not, but I'm not I guess worried about it being -- it's not going to be my lasting thought as I leave here today. I played a good round of golf; every day is different.

I do feel like we found a little something with the driver, all the long clubs, and it was nice to do that for 18 full holes. I didn't hit one crazy shot today so that was cool.

Q. Your group got it going for a while. Did you feed off Rickie and vice versa?

MAX HOMA: Yeah, I would think so. I'm super lucky to have a group like that. Two of my closest buddies out here. I've known Rick and Jake forever. So three SoCal guys in the same group and everybody started making a lot birdies, so that was fun.

Q. Obviously number is going to be 20 something, so obviously one day doesn't get it done. How is your approach the rest of the week? Just keep...

MAX HOMA: Yeah, just have to keep playing. Patience is very important even when scores are really low. Look at a round like Rickie played today. He said a couple blips early and then found his swing again shot a really low number.

So as much as it always feels like a track meet in your head, you look at that and it's important to stay within yourself and stay patient, because you can birdie any hole out here.

Q. One thing you worked on on the range this week that you felt might have been key today?

MAX HOMA: Just my sequencing has been off. Found something to hopefully slow down my legs.

Yeah, it's always just been off all season. Hopefully this little change is going to kind of continue to work. But didn't find it until late yesterday afternoon, so I'm in the early days of it. I think I'm in the honeymoon phase for a little while.

Q. Can you talk about the characteristics of this TPC Deere Run? You show up at any tournament looking play like you did today. What about this place is working for you this time of year? You read all the stories about how people shoot low and you probably came in expecting to do so.

MAX HOMA: Yeah, well, the greens are always pretty soft and they're in amazing shape so you can make a lot of putts. I think in general, you have three reachable par-5s -- well 10 is not really, but you have two very reachable par-5s. A lot of holes if you hit a great drive, you're going to have a wedge in your hand. I'm quite a good wedge player typically the last handful of years.

So when you're putting the ball in the fairway it just feels like you have a lot of 10-footers. You know if you're patient you're going to get some 10-footers. You just need to eventually get one in a good spot.

Yeah, there are some hard holes out here. You can play them defensively and then eat up the other ones. I think that's probably what most guys are doing today.

Q. When you see the kids out here for the autographs and all the fans, we take good weather for granted out on the PGA TOUR; though don't get it too much here, except this time of year. Do you get a feel, a vibe here at John Deere that you don't see elsewhere?

MAX HOMA: Yeah, it's an amazing vibe. There is a ton the kids out there. You need to travel with us more though. We don't get great weather often, so we are very thankful for this. It's cool to see the energy out here. Obviously playing with Rickie and Jake there was a big crowd, so that's quite fun.

Q. It's your best first-round score since the 2023 Genesis Invitational. Did it feel like it?

MAX HOMA: Yeah, I played well. Holed a lot of putts, but still didn't feel like I did one thing that carried me. It felt like everything was really good. Kept it in front of me. Was rarely in a bad spot, whether it's off the tee or around the greens.

Obviously having a hot putter helps. Even with that, I did a lot to shoot a low number. Yeah, did feel like a good opening round.

Q. You had a choice word for some people on social media yesterday. I am sure you didn't see it because you're not on it, but a lot of people took it and ran with it. Any motivation there wanting to stick it to the haters or do you not think about that?

MAX HOMA: Yeah, no, I think the further I've removed myself from Twitter, you stop thinking about it so much. I think that's what I was getting at yesterday is it's draining, it's probably in the back of my mind, and I just wouldn't -- I just -- there is just no point to give any attention to that.

Like I said my friends and family, a lot of strangers out here any week on the road are so kind. It is a lot smarter to surround yourself with real people than whatever that is on the internet.

Q. Was there talk about what you said in the locker room, on the range? Obviously quote-unquote went viral.

MAX HOMA: No. We don't really talk about much golf stuff. We just try to live our lives and then go play 18 holes and go back inside and do it again.

Q. So you said it and then basically under the radar?

MAX HOMA: Yeah, I guess. I just talk and I don't know if people listen. But, yeah, I don't talk to the guys about all that.