Max Homa has found quite a bit of success the last three years at the Masters.
Carrying that over to the RBC Heritage the following week has surprisingly proven a tough challenge.
Homa, coming off his third straight result among the top 12 at Augusta National, will look to follow that up with his first top-50 finish since 2020 at Harbour Town Golf Links in Hilton Head Island, S.C.
"(Harbour Town) should fit my game really well," Homa said. "Unfortunately I haven't played too well here, so hopefully
this is the year."
After tying for third at the 2024 Masters, Homa followed with a tie for 55th in the RBC Heritage, a signature event. He followed a tie for 12th last year in Augusta by finishing in 70th out of 72 competitors at the RBC.
Homa tied for ninth in this season's first major, and he seems aware of why his success at Augusta National hasn't carried over to Hilton Head.
It's a common refrain heard about the tournament immediately after the Masters, and why a number of competitors often skip the event.
"That mental toll (the Masters) takes on you is pretty draining," Homa said. "It is crazy how majors just feel like two weeks on you. Augusta is one of the few physical tests we have in golf. It's quite a bear to walk and prep for."
Complicating matters for Homa is the fact that his wife and two children under 4 -- including one born last August -- are with him for the road trip.
"It's definitely interesting how tired I am. Now, granted, I do have two children, and one of them chose not to sleep last night, so it's taking me longer to get back into, I guess, a fiery mode," Homa quipped. " ... I would say by (Thursday) I'm sure my energy will be back and I'll be ready to compete."
Sleep deprived or not, Homa seems to have found something of late after a rocky 2025 season. He wound up last year 111th in the FedEx Cup standings, a far cry from the consecutive top-10 finishes he had in 2022 and 2023.
With a top-15 finish at the Cognizant Classic and three other top-40 finishes in addition to another strong Masters showing, Homa has rebounded early this season, sitting in 50th in the FedEx Cup rankings entering this week's event.
He credits a return to working with coach Mark Blackburn as what has helped him trend once more in a positive direction.
"I went back to him in, I think, October, and we obviously put a lot of work in in the offseason, and he's just been amazing," Homa said of Blackburn. "We communicate so well. He seems very in tune with what makes me tick."
--Field Level Media
