Max Homma lit up a fan standing near the 17th green at Olympia Fields Country Club on Saturday afternoon.
Homma was nearing the end of his third BMW Championship run on Saturday when he heard a spectator yell, “Pull it on!” in the middle of his back. Homa said this fan had placed a $3 bet on him to miss the knockout.
The same thing happened with Homa’s playing partner, Chris Kirk, while putting on the 18-foot hole as well. Kirk’s putt stopped just short of the hole, and he tapped it to par. Thank God, Huma made it 5 feet tall.
“Maybe there was someone drunk – I hope, to his case, or he was just the biggest loser – but he was yelling and yelling at Chris because he missed his short putt,” Homa said. And he kept yelling—someone had $3 to make it for me—and I had a stroke in the back of my back and he yelled, ‘Pull it out!’ very loud.
“I made it through the middle, and then I started yelling at him.”
Homma and caddy Joe Griner began yelling at the fans as they made their way off the green and down to the final hole.
“(I told him) he’s a clown, maybe in another word,” Homa said. “I don’t know what Joe shouted. I think it was meaner. It’s just been a long day, I don’t know, I guess.”
It is not clear what kind of live bet the fans specifically placed, or if this was done through a sportsbook.
Homma, who set a course record with an 8-under 62 on Friday, struggled on Saturday. He made triple bogey on the 7 par-4, then entered with a 1-over 71. That dropped him to two shots again from Scotty Scheffler and Matt Fitzpatrick, who entered Sunday’s final round on 11-less.
Victor Hofland took a late lead and held off Scheffler on Sunday to take the win at Olympia Fields. He set a new course record with 61 as well. That vaulted him into second place in the FedExCup standings heading into the Tour Championship next week. Homma finished T5 with Brian Harman after a final round 68. Homma will start at 4-under next week in Atlanta, six shots off Scheffler.
Although Saturday’s interaction with that fan wasn’t pleasant, Homa insisted it was very rare. It’s for golf gambling enthusiasts, as long as it doesn’t spill over into the course.
“It’s always something on your mind. We have to stay focused or something, but it’s annoying when it happens,” Homa said. “It just feels – it’s like the only thing we have in this match, the fans are so cool about being calm when we play. I think they’re great. When anyone speaks, it is unintentional. They don’t know we’re hitting.
“It’s only annoying when it’s incredibly intentional, and his friend specifically said it was for $3, so it wasn’t — because money matters, but that’s a depressing number.”