Max Homa has confirmed that he has split with his swing coach Mark Blackburn ahead of the Presidents Cup following a difficult season on the PGA Tour.
Despite making the United States team as one of Jim Furyk's captain's picks for this week’s Presidents Cup at Royal Montreal Golf Club, Homa has struggled for form this year, earning just three top 10s in 21 starts.
Ahead of his second Presidents Cup, the six-time PGA Tour winner revealed that he parted ways with Blackburn following his last-place finish at the FedEx St. Jude Championship last month.
“It's just a tough year,” he said. “Time for a change. It's unfortunate, I love Mark. He's basically a part of my family. He's just been an amazing human being.
“But at times, the communication gets hard. I think everyone in here has gone through that at some point. It's one of those things, more for me I need a break and sometimes I don't do a great job of taking ownership of my own golf swing so kind of putting the ball in my court a bit, and you know, trying to figure it out myself.”
Homa said he has been working “solo” since splitting with Blackburn and is trying to take “ownership” of his own swing.
“I mean, as much as a coach can be brilliant, a genius like Mark, I know my golf swing better than anybody, and I can see it and feel it. Just trying to take some ownership like that.”
The 33-year-old’s best finish this year was a T3 at the Masters, but since then, he has had a worrying slump, with just one top 25 finish in his last 10 starts.
Despite missing the cut at his last event, the Procure Championship, Homa said his swing “feels great” and he is hoping to bounce back in Montreal this week.
“I just needed some time,” Homa said. “I just don't think people understand how impressive it is when golfers like a Scottie [Scheffler] or a Wyndham [Clark], or anyone on our team goes through a slump and then it ends. It's just not that easy. The back end of our season, it goes from The Open and the Playoffs and you just don't get a lot of time to go through and work things out as fast.
“I used [Procore] as a check … of, okay, how is this going to be in competition, and I was really pleased with how I drove the ball there. So it was good.”
Homa, who is the lowest ranked player in Team USA, is one of two American players sitting out Thursday’s opening session, alongside Brian Harman.
Team USA captain Furyk said he remains confident in Homa’s game and that he will be a big part of the side.
“I have a lot of confidence in his game,” Furyk said after the first pairings were announced. “I have a lot of confidence in what he brings to our team, not only from a playing standpoint, but in the team room as well. You're going to see him play a lot of golf this week.”
Homa was part of the United States’ winning Presidents Cup team in 2022, and went a perfect 4-0-0 in his first appearance in the event.
