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Newsweek
06-07-2025
- Sport
- Newsweek
John Deere Classic: Max Homa Comes Painfully Close to Snapping Drought
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Just hours after Michelle Wie West's viral post reminded the world how deeply intertwined mental health and self-worth are with golf scores, Max Homa lived that truth in real-time. The 6-time PGA Tour winner came heartbreakingly close to ending his 18-month drought at the 2025 John Deere Classic, only to watch it slip away in the final stretch. His last win came in 2023 at the Farmers Insurance Open. This week, fans saw Homa claw his way into contention at the John Deere Classic, reminding the world that he is an elite player. After a frustrating season marked by a complete overhaul of his swing and mindset, his missing cuts, and parting ways with his long-time caddie, it seems the 34-year-old is heading in the right direction. SILVIS, ILLINOIS - JULY 05: Max Homa of the United States walks off the second tee during the third round of the John Deere Classic 2025 at TPC Deere Run on July 05, 2025 in... SILVIS, ILLINOIS - JULY 05: Max Homa of the United States walks off the second tee during the third round of the John Deere Classic 2025 at TPC Deere Run on July 05, 2025 in Silvis, Illinois. (Photo by) More Getty Images Homa's week at TPC Deere Run started on a tear. He opened with a scorching 8-under 63, his lowest round of the season. The 34-year-old stayed in contention with back-to-back 68s for the second and third rounds. But on Sunday, at TPC Deere Run, it was one shot, a pulled drive on the par-4 15th, that flipped the script. His tee shot found the left rough, leading to a bogey that dropped him into a tie. Homa finished at 16-under overall after a final-round 2-under 69 to close the tournament. He settled for a six-way tie for fifth with Matt Kuchar, Lucas Glover, Carson Young, Jacob Bridgeman, and Kurt Kitayama. The former Cal Golden Bear finished one stroke shy of the playoff between Brian Campbell and Emiliano Grillo. Campbell, who won his maiden PGA Tour victory at the Mexico Open in February, claimed his second playoff title at the John Deere Classic. "I like his move... he's got a little cast at the top." -Tiger Woods on Max Homa Enjoy 30 seconds of Homa's golf swing ⬇️ — PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) July 5, 2025 But he isn't going home with nothing. This finish was the fan favorite's first top-10 of the year, and he will take home a solid $344,400 payout from the $8.4 million purse. "I think taking what we've been doing this week and using that to go forward... I plan to be in this position a lot more," Homa said after his round on Saturday. There seems to be no doubt that Homa is coming back into form ahead of the Genesis Scottish Open. More Golf: LIV Player who burned a bridge re-joining PGA Tour at Scottish Open
Yahoo
06-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Max Homa Shares Honest Take Amid John Deere Classic
Max Homa Shares Honest Take Amid John Deere Classic originally appeared on Athlon Sports. Moving Day at the 2025 John Deere Classic saw a familiar face surge toward contention as Max Homa carded a 3‑under 68 on Saturday at TPC Deere Run. Advertisement His third‑round effort, following an opening 63 and a 68 in the second round, moved him to 14‑under par through 54 holes, in a tie for second place and just one stroke off the lead heading into Sunday's final round. After his performance on Saturday, a reporter asked, "Just how much fun are you having out there right now?" noting Homa's seemingly calm and relaxed demeanour. "I'm trying my best. It's a hard thing for me. I don't typically have tons of fun on the golf course, but it's been a very big point of emphasis this week to just enjoy whatever it is because I have a really cool job," Homa said. "I know I'm doing everything I can to get better at this, and I guess that's all I could ever ask myself. So the rest should just be enjoyable. So I'm trying my best to make it enjoyable." Advertisement A Burbank, California, native, Homa turned professional in 2013 after a standout amateur career at the University of California, Berkeley, where he won the 2013 NCAA individual championship. On the PGA Tour, Homa has captured six victories, including two Wells Fargo Championships (2019, 2022), two Fortinet Championships (2021, 2022), the Genesis Invitational (2021) and the Farmers Insurance Open (2023). He has appeared on the U.S. Ryder Cup and Presidents Cup teams and in 2024, enjoyed his highest major finish: T3 at the Masters. Homa's surge at Silvis marks his best 54‑hole position this season and a shot at his first PGA Tour win since 2023. Advertisement Max Homa plays his shot from the ninth tee during the second round of the Rocket Mortgage Classic.© Aaron Doster-Imagn Images With the leaderboard tightly bunched going into Sunday, TPC Deere Run promises another dramatic final round. The 2025 purse for the John Deere Classic stands at $8.4 million, with $1.512 million to the winner. Related: Phil Mickelson Makes Big Career Announcement on Wednesday Related: Scottie Scheffler Makes Strong Statement After Major Career Decision This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 5, 2025, where it first appeared.
NBC Sports
30-06-2025
- Sport
- NBC Sports
After several tries, Aldrich Potgieter knocks down door for maiden PGA Tour title
Aldrich Potgieter had been banging on the door for months. And for a 20-year-old former rugby player and wrestler who is seemingly still listed at his grade-school weight (211 pounds), those knocks have been hard, just ineffective when it came to the overarching pursuit. Potgieter led by three shots through three days of the DP World Tour's season opener last December before coughing up the Nedbank Golf Challenge, colloquially known as Africa's Open, with a sloppy final round. Then in late January, he closed in 78 to eject from contention at the Farmers Insurance Open. And a few weeks later, in a playoff at the Mexico Open, it was the PGA Tour's shortest hitter, Brian Campbell, toppling Potgieter, the Tour's longest but with clear flaws from short range. But on Sunday evening in Detroit, the burly South African finally knocked that door down. After shrugging off another rocky start and some late misses with the putter, Potgieter drained an 18-footer for birdie on Detroit Golf Club's par-3 15th hole, the fifth in a playoff against Max Greyserman (and earlier Chris Kirk), to capture the Rocket Classic and become the youngest of his countrymen to win on the PGA Tour. Potgieter's maiden victory also makes him the third youngest winner in the last half-century, older than only Jordan Spieth and Tiger Woods. 'I'm just happy to walk away as a winner,' said Potgieter on the 15th green, still trying to catch his breath amid the settling dust. The longest playoff in PGA Tour history went 11 holes. That was at the 1949 Motor City Open in Detroit, and overtime would've gone on longer had darkness not forced Lloyd Mangrum and Cary Middlecoff to share the title. For a while, Sunday's playoff felt like it would challenge that. Potgieter, Greyserman and Kirk broke out of a logjam that saw 13 players within three shots when the final group made the turn on Sunday afternoon. Kirk missed a 16-foot birdie putt at the last, settling for a 5-under 67 and the clubhouse lead at 22 under. Greyserman (67) and Potgieter (69) soon joined him after Greyserman's birdie bid from 12 feet missed and Potgieter, the 54-hole leader by two, closed out a tricky two-putt from 40 feet. Putts remained elusive in extras. Kirk had 9 feet for the win on the first playoff hole, No. 18, and missed. He was eliminated with a bogey one hole later, on No. 15, where Greyserman couldn't convert a winner from 11 feet. Then at the par-4 16th, the third of overtime, both Potgieter and Greyserman whiffed on 15-footers. And on the next, the par-5 14th, two-putt birdies were traded. Once Greyserman missed on a 35-footer at No. 15, the fifth of the playoff, it set the stage for Potgieter's winning blow, when the lid finally came off the hole – and the proverbial door flew off its hinges. 'I left a lot short, so it was definitely a grind to kind of pull something out of the books to kind of feel like I can hit the putt a lot harder but not lose where I'm aiming and matching the speed and the line,' Potgieter said. 'It was definitely hard playing all those playoff holes where putts weren't dropping where I had really good looks at it. 'It was nice to finish on a really good putt.' Greyserman, still winless, has now finished runner-up four times on the PGA Tour. He also was second twice on the Koen Ferry Tour two years ago. 'It's getting late in the day, greens are getting crusty, they're redoing the course, putts just didn't drop,' said Greyserman, who opted to change shoes right before the playoff after his right sole got stuck in a locker-room doorframe, breaking one of his spikes. 'I hit a lot of good putts. This one's going to sting for a little bit, but I'll get back to work in two weeks.' This week marked Potgieter's first action in over a month, since the Charles Schwab Challenge in late May at Colonial, where he tied for sixth. Potgieter took the time to return home to Mossel Bay, South Africa, and recharge. He also made some equipment changes, ditching his previous Titleist blades for a more forgiving mix of the brands new T-100 and T-150 irons. He also switched into the Pro V1x+ ball, needing more spin to keep his shots in the air longer and avoid the hot knucklers that would often go too far. 'I think I did a really good job of not coming in expecting too much because so much has changed,' Potgieter said. 'It's nice. I thought I didn't hit enough balls at home, I could have done a little bit more work, but it's nice to kind of see some results coming from the club-fitting and having some time off to breathe a bit.' Potgieter checked out of his AirBnb at 10 a.m. Sunday, which meant that he had a couple hours to kill before he was to arrive at Detroit Golf Club around noon. So, the youngster went to a coffee shop. Bad move. 'That got me a little shaky,' Potgieter admitted. He did birdie his opening hole, but bogeys at Nos. 2 and 5 followed, and Potgieter had lost his lead. With the same, old story starting to play out once again, Potgieter took control of his nerves, telling himself, 'We've got to change and play like we did the first three days.' 'There was a switch that kind of went off when I lost the lead, and I kind of felt like I can kind of chase something,' Potgieter later explained. 'I kind of had to pull myself out of the environment I was in before those first couple holes and get in that chase mode where I can kind of play some different golf.' He birdied Nos. 7 and 8, then Nos. 13 and 14, and he almost eagled the par-5 17th after going flag-hunting from 200 yards, narrowly missing a 17-footer. He missed a lot from there, but he made the one that counted most. Then he whiffed a final time. At some point in the rush of victory, Potgieter decided to toss his golf ball to a young fan. Yes, he disregarded his winning, white sphere. 'I don't know, it was just in the moment,' Potgieter said. 'I was just pumped up. I know my grandma's probably going to be quite mad at me. I give her all my stuff that I've won with, so she's not going to be pretty happy.' No worries, Grandma, there will be plenty more. The door's been kicked down.
USA Today
26-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Will Zalatoris announces another back surgery, this time after he 're-herniated two discs'
Will Zalatoris announces another back surgery, this time after he 're-herniated two discs' Will Zalatoris announced he's had another back surgery. In a social media post Monday, the big hitter said that after the PGA Championship he was told he "re-herniated two discs." His surgery was Friday. Zalatoris has made nine of 11 cuts in 2025, but both his missed cuts were at majors, the Masters and the PGA Championship. He also has two withdrawals this season, once at the Farmers Insurance Open and again at the CJ Cup Byron Nelson. Both WDs came before those events started, so no reasons were given. Full statement from Will Zalatoris about his recent back surgery Hey everyone, sharing a health update. This spring, I started feeling some discomfort and instability in my back that progressively got worse. Following the PGA Championship, an MRI showed that I had re-herniated two discs. After discussing the options with my medical team, I underwent surgery this past Friday with Dr. Michael Duffy at the Texas Back Institute.I'm happy to say that I woke up feeling good and excited about my long-term back health. Time to focus on my recovery and get back after it. Thank you to my team, friends, and family for being there for me throughout this journey. Looking forward to seeing everyone in the fall!! While not specifying his recovery time, he seems to be targeting this fall for his return. He previously had a back injury and subsequent surgery in April of 2023, and that derailed his next 18 months. Ahead of the 2025 season, he said he put on 20 pounds and spoke positively about his outlook at the season-opening Sentry. "It's nice to be in a really good spot and really good head space," Zalatoris said in January. "Body feels great. Put in a lot of great work over the last four months. Purposely didn't play much because I wanted to get some work in."
New York Times
28-04-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Andrew Novak finally breaks through, teaming with Ben Griffin to win Zurich Classic
NEW ORLEANS — The glory of a journeyman never comes simply. Andrew Novak couldn't get it in San Diego. He couldn't get it in San Antonio. He couldn't even get it last week in a playoff with Justin Thomas in Hilton Head. No, the hottest golfer you didn't know kept coming up so close and so short. So, of course, as he took the lead in at the Zurich Classic in New Orleans with teammate Ben Griffin, a generator issue cut coverage for more than an hour. Then a weather delay halted play for another two hours. His breakthrough was not meant to be seen. Advertisement But he finally got that win, and it came with a little help from his friend. Novak and Griffin won the Zurich Classic — the PGA Tour's lone team event — thanks to a 35-foot birdie putt by Griffin on the 17th hole to pull away from a congested leaderboard. Suddenly, two grind-it-out golfers who've played on tours throughout the world can say they are PGA Tour champions. And it comes for two players who were overdue. Novak has quietly become the best and toughest story on tour. He's a bearded, husky 30-year-old journeyman who has scrapped for years between the Canadian tour and the Korn Ferry ranks. He's never made it to the FedEx Cup playoffs. But in 2025, he's been the breakout star. He finished two shots back of the lead at the Farmers Insurance Open. He got T13 at consecutive signature events in Pebble Beach and Torrey Pines. He was the last player in the field at the Arnold Palmer Invitational but put himself in one of the final Sunday groups. Then, with a Masters berth in play, he just missed out with a T3 at the Valero Texas Open. And last week at another signature event in Hilton Head, he lost a heartbreaking playoff to Thomas. Head down, hair sweaty, Novak signed autographs after the best and worst moment of his golf career up to that point in Hilton Head. He'd just earned his best finish in a big-money tour event, making $2.2 million. But once again, he was so close. A young autograph seeker politely told Novak that he bet on him. 'You bet on me?' Novak said. 'I hope it was top 5 and not to win.' "You bet on me? I hope it was Top 5 and not to win." 😅 Standup guy even fresh off a playoff loss @AndrewNovakGolf — Golfbet (@Golfbet) April 20, 2025 Because Andrew Novak gets it. Really gets it. He makes fun of himself on Twitter. He takes time for goofy interviews to debate course rankings with bloggers. In an era of professional golf catered more and more to the biggest stars, he represents a humble, likeable example of the meritocracy that can still exist on the PGA Tour. Advertisement And at Zurich, he teamed up with his fellow North Carolina native Ben Griffin, somebody who took a day job as a mortgage loan officer just four years ago. He was too burnt out on mini-tours and the grind of golfing life without a payoff. Griffin plays golf with Novak back home in Sea Island, Georgia. And Griffin himself was due, a 28-year-old with 11 top 20s last year and two top-five finishes this spring. When the weather delay hit, the duo had a three-shot lead with 11 holes to go. When they returned, Novak clearly didn't have the same feel. They bogeyed both 8 and 9 and quickly fell into a tie with Jake Knapp and Frankie Capan III that remained knotted up until the 17th hole, when Capan hit his tee shot into the water and Griffin hit that 35-foot birdie to reach 28-under. The Hojgaard twins, Nicolai and Rasmus, got to 27-under to put some pressure, but Novak and Griffin were able to easily par 18 and earn their first wins. Now, both have their PGA Tour cards for the next two years, and Novak skyrockets up the FedEx Cup points rankings to No. 6. For a player that has never even made it to the first round of the playoffs, let alone finishing top 30 to make the Tour Championship, this could be a career-changing run. Maybe Sunday in New Orleans, he'll find another fan who bet on him. This time it won.
