Imagine showing up to work every day, knowing you’ve put in the hours, honed your craft, and given it everything—only to feel like you’re stuck. No progress, no wins, just an endless loop of frustration. Frustrating, right? That’s where Max Homa is right now. His last victory came at the 2023 Farmers Insurance Open and since then? Nothing. He did have 3 top-10 finishes last year but that obviously is not the same.

For a six-time PGA Tour winner, that kind of drought stings. And it’s not like he hasn’t been trying. Well, golf can sometimes be cruel. Sometimes, everything seems in place, and sometimes, no matter how hard you grind, the results just don’t follow. Homa has had his share of obstacles, from injuries to missed cuts. And lately, he’s felt stuck in reverse. “It’s felt like I’ve been just going backwards for months,” he admitted.

That frustration boiled over at the WM Phoenix Open, where he missed the cut by five shots. But oddly enough, there was a bright spot. During a practice round, he finally felt something click. “I gave everybody on my team a hug because it finally felt like I was like going forward,” he said. A small win, but a win nonetheless.

That’s the thing about Homa. No matter how tough things get, he keeps showing up. At the 2024 Masters, he entered the final round in contention for the green jacket, ultimately finishing T3. But since then, it’s been rough. His world ranking has dropped from ninth to 60th. He finished outside the top 20 in his last 11 Tour starts in 2023, and 2024 hasn’t been much kinder. A 77 at Torrey Pines a few weeks ago led to a withdrawal, adding to the frustration.

But if there’s one thing Homa won’t do, it’s give up. “I do think at the end of all my days, and I would assume most people would think this way about themselves whatever walk of life you’re in, whatever job you have, if I never have another good result again that would be a massive bummer, but … maybe in some years I could rest easy knowing I’m doing absolutely everything I possibly can to do that. I’ve always been quite proud of my work ethic, I think that’s why I’m here. I think it’s my best quality and has been ramped up about a thousand notches,” Homa said.

For all the jokes and self-deprecating humor he’s known for, Homa’s work ethic and resilience define him just as much. And while the wins haven’t come lately, he’s still fighting—because that’s what he does.

How does Max Homa plan to strategize his game further?

Homa’s been in a tough spot, searching for answers as his game hasn’t clicked the way he wants. And to find those answers, he’s made some big changes, switching from Titleist to Cobra equipment and parting ways with longtime coach Mark Blackburn last summer. Blackburn and Homa started working together after he shot 78-76 and missed the cut at the 2020 US Open. They first met in a hotel gym, where Blackburn put him through a physical assessment, and from there, they built a strong bond.

After years together, Homa saw Blackburn as family, but he also recognized a need for change. “It’s one of those things, more for me I need a break,” he said. “Sometimes I don’t do a great job of taking ownership of my golf swing so kind of putting the ball in my court a bit, and you know, trying to figure it out myself.” 

While he’s always trusted the process, he admits that results matter. “Also really hard to measure progress when you’re playing against the best players in the world on the hardest golf courses,” Homa said.

After an intense offseason with his new coach, he hoped to start fresh at Kapalua. “I definitely felt like I did, but there were some things to work through,” he explained. “I actually was really pleased when I left Hawaii… But I went home, like, ‘OK, I’m very excited, this next stretch will be really good,’ and then in those two weeks off, it never really fully clicked.”

And that’s been the frustrating part. “I felt like there was just one thing slightly off because I would hit the best shot of my life, and then the next shot would feel way different,” he said. He’s trying to stay patient, focusing on long-term progress, but he knows the numbers have to back it up at some point.

A recent breakthrough in his ball striking gave him a bit of hope. “I know I’m moving in the right direction,” he said. “I’ve had some really bad weeks… and then last week was finally a massive breakthrough on Monday, Tuesday. Felt like I’ve been looking for this kind of missing link and I got it.”

That kind of self-awareness might just be what gets him back on track. Now, he’s heading into the Genesis Invitational—an event where he’s had success before, finishing T16 last year and runner-up in 2023. He knows the course, he knows what he’s capable of, and if everything finally falls into place, he just might remind everyone why he’s a six-time PGA Tour winner.