‘Not Limping as Much’: Max Homa Is Relieved For Tiger Woods Despite Losing the Popularity Battle

The highly anticipated return of Tiger Woods at Riviera Country Club in 2024 has struck a chord of excitement among golf enthusiasts. And for Max Homa, this is a moment of inspiration that he eagerly awaits. The California native was on cloud nine as the news of Woods playing spread in the golf world.

Homa, the avid fanboy of Woods, was more relived about Woods being healthier enough to play with them, and as the Genesis Invitational approaches, the 6-time PGA Tour winner expressed his all-time admiration for Woods and how he makes events more special.

Max Homa shares his happiness about Tiger Woods playing again 

Homa belongs to the lucky generation that saw Mr.T in his prime, hunting down victories after victories, creating numerous records for the future generation of golfers to break. No doubt, the 33-year-old finds Woods to be one of his inspirations. As the 15-time major champ gears up to make his first official start with his new brand deal, Sun Day Red, Homa revealed that he was “just happy to see the man not limping as much,” and said, “Every event’s better when Tiger is here.”

At the pre-match presser before the Genesis Invitational started, the six-time PGA Tour winner, relayed his admiration for Woods. He agreed that Woods hosting the event was great and also went on to highlight another aspect of Woods’s return and stated, “but you want to see him play, all the fans want to see him play” because “it just makes the event feel a bit bigger,” alluding to Woods’s popularity and larger-than-life persona.

From watching Woods at the Farmers Insurance Open and missing classes to actually playing with him, the Burbank native expressed, “That’s actually when it starts to feel like what you watched on TV.” And though, when Woods is around, he steals the attention of other golfers, Homa finds it amusing because according to him, “When he’s around, you have less people watching you play golf, but there are more people watching golf which is cool.”

Woods has always brought people from around the world to tune in to watch him play golf, which arguably has increased as he plays fewer events. Homa narrated a story where Woods’s disappearance from the game made him think, “This guy really controls the world!” 

Homa reveals the time when Woods’s absence fascinated him

The Farmers Insurance Open surely holds a special place in Woods’s life, as the event had been a regular fixture in his PGA Tour calendar before his string of surgeries. The 48-year-old has won the event seven times, making him the golfer to hold the record for winning the most number of times at Torry Pines. Even Homa said that it’s said on the Tour that in rookie years, “You play Farmers because Tiger’s there.”

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And though Homa did not play at Torrey Pines when he was a rookie, he recalled one instance when he did play and Woods was playing as well. There, he witnessed Woods being paired with Rickie Fowler and Billy Horschel. On the first day of the event, Homa remembered there were “thousands of people on the putting green” who had joined to watch Woods play, despite there being a fog delay and them being stuck on the greens with the players.

However, when the same weather challenges continued the next day, Woods withdrew from the event, as did the people. Homa shared, “There were like 22 people around us.” And that’s when he realized, “Dang, this guy really controls the world.” The world number eight was left fascinated with Woods’s effects on the game and his power to bring people towards golf. On the Riviera greens, he might witness Woods’s magic once again.

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