When Max Homa watched his tee shot from 341 yards on the fifth hole of his round land to within 21 inches, he stepped back and probably knew today was going to be his day.
Homa gently nudged his putt in for the simplest of eagles, securing back-to-back 2s for the first time in his major career, and didn’t look back for the rest of his round.
Such moments have been rare for Homa during a barren run of form this season but it set the tone for a spectacular performance that has him in prime position for the weekend.
The 34-year-old bulldozed his way through the back nine after starting on the 10th, getting round in a brilliant 30 that brought him from the middle of the field into the chasing pack.
A more measured one-under trip around the back nine left him at seven-under for the day and five-under for the tournament – a mark currently only bettered by three players.
‘I played quite similarly to yesterday. It was a lot easier. There’s like no wind,’ Homa said afterwards.
Max Homa posted a sublime seven-under par round on day two of the PGA Championship
Homa hit a remarkable 340-yard tee shot to within 21 inches on just the fifth hole of the day
‘Just scored better, made a couple long putts. Hit a drive randomly to a foot and chipped it. 14 was great. It was not the best shot I ever hit.
‘I was aiming one yard inside the right bunker, so I toed it like the perfect amount. I looked up slightly scared of it going left, but obviously it was still a good drive. I mean, you don’t hit it there intentionally unless you’re Scottie (Scheffler) or something.
‘It was kind of in a way nice to be able to play in the morning and just get to go immediately because I knew the game was good. Didn’t know I was going to shoot 7-under, but I will take it.’
Homa is a six-time winner on the PGA Tour but is yet to get over the line in a major championship.
Things have not been going well this year, either. He has played in 11 events this season and missed the cut in five, posting just one top-25 finish.
He also recently parted ways with longtime caddy Joe Greiner and it must have stung to watch Greiner win with Justin Thomas at the RBC Heritage just weeks later.
But Homa, the personification of California cool, joined forces with Bill Harke early last month and together they finished T-12 at the Masters and came into this week on the back of a T-30 finish at the Truist Championship.
After posting his best score in 23 major starts on Friday morning, Homa’s confidence looks like it’s flowing again.
The 34-year-old bulldozed his way through the back nine in just a brilliant 30 shots on Friday
Homa heaped praise on new caddie Bill Harke after a fruitful start to their partnership
‘Yeah, Bill has been awesome,’ Homa said after his round. ‘It’s really hard to change caddies.
‘I was talking to my wife about that last night. You’re in like a full relationship day one. You’re out there with him, first day is probably eight hours. It’s not exactly a normal first date.
‘So it can be tricky. Joe and I worked for so long and so well together that it’s never going to be exactly like that. We’ve been trying to kind of find our own groove.
‘Bill is really amazing at the psychology of golf and talking to me and keeping me positive when I start to go a little dark. Especially at Augusta this year, he was amazing. I had two rounds where it was because of him what we did.
‘Now that I’m playing a bit better the last two weeks, it’s trying to find our rhythm on like clubs and this and that. Yeah, it’s a learning curve, but I’ve really enjoyed being around him.’
Homa will need to maintain this form if he is to be in Keegan Bradley’s Ryder Cup team later this year.
He was the pick of the Americans in Friday’s morning wave as the game’s biggest stars continued to flounder.
Bryson DeChambeau was the only other American likely to play at Bethpage Black who stood out with a three-under par 68.
