Max Homa goes in search of the first Major victory of his career in this week’s US Open in his home city of Los Angeles.
The tournament is known for being one of the most difficult challenges in the game, but the 32-year-old is relishing the prospect of the cut and thrust of the action at Los Angeles Country Club.
Homa won the 2013 Pac-12 Championship at the venue – a performance that including an outstanding 61 during the first round which set the course record. Speaking to the media in the build-up to this week's tournament, Homa said he wasn’t sure that would happen again, particularly if the conditions are as he hopes.
He said: “When I got here Sunday and Monday wasn't too firm, and I played with JT yesterday and he probably could have shot 61 if we had played 18 holes, so it's firmed up a lot since then, the nine holes we just played.
“It's going to be pretty hard. Yeah, I think the sun being out is real helpful. A little bit of wind is going to make it spicy. I hope it's carnage. I hope it's a typical US Open. This golf course lends itself to that."
Homa doesn’t have the best record in Majors so far in his career and has yet to finish in the top 10 in any. However, he said he hopes the familiarity he already has with course will stand him in good stead.
He explained: “Knowing where my hotel is, knowing where the locker room is here, knowing what the golf course looks like having played it before so that the practice rounds don't feel like we're re-learning a golf course, we're not just seeing it for the first time, that can always be a little difficult.”
“Any leg up is valuable with how great these golfers are. I do look at that as a bit of a boost. All the guys who played the Pac-12s here, anybody who played here prior, it's definitely a bit of an advantage.”
'My Golf Game Is Plenty Good Enough To Contend In These Things'
Still, Homa is acutely aware that his Major record needs improvement, and he revealed his underwhelming form in them is partly due to trying too hard. He said: “I really do believe that my golf game is plenty good enough to contend in these things.
"I think I've shown that in other PGA Tour events. I've won six times, a lot of them recently. I've done it on some pretty great golf courses, some hard golf courses. I just think I get here and I try too hard."
It was clear how much performing well in Los Angeles means to Homa following his tearful appearance in front of the media after his runner-up finish behind Jon Rahm at February’s Genesis Invitational at Riviera Country Club.
Homa explained that the US Open being in the city makes it all the more special. He said: “All four Majors mean a ton, but this event to the Americans, this is our championship.
"If it was anywhere it would be special, but just an added bit of excitement being here, I think it's all positive. There's nothing really negative I could say about that. I can't wait for the event to start to hear all the noise, because like I said, at Riviera this year was wild. I can't imagine if something like that were to happen here.”
