Max Homa was just a six-year-old kid when Tiger Woods unleashed himself at Augusta National. It was 1997. Woods was 21. He won by a record 12 strokes, a feat whose significance was yet to register with a six-year-old kid. What did register was the swagger this 21-year-old guy from California brought to a game otherwise considered a sport for ‘utter dorks’. 

Homa is now 33 and has six PGA Tour titles under his belt. For the record, he has played with Woods at Augusta National as recently as last April. But the impact of the 15-time major winner has yet to wear off despite seeing him up close. In a recent chat with the Join the Lobby crew, Homa explained how Woods left a lasting impression not just on him but on youngsters of his age.

The host, who goes by the moniker Swagg, admitted as a youngster he knew nothing about golf but the name Tiger Woods. That’s because of the famous ‘Tiger’ Gatorade bottle. 

Homa smiled. When he was growing up, Woods was part of the big three. Or even the big four if you include Ernie Els with Phil Mickelson and Vijay Singh. Nevertheless, the debate is always between Mickelson and Woods. Lefty had six majors and 45 PGA Tour titles under his belt. Yet, it’s Woods who stands tall for the Max Homa.

The six-time PGA Tour winner explained, “He [Phil Mickelson] was always like kinda right behind Tiger, but I always say Tiger not only because he was the best and just completely reshaped Golf but he made it cool. Where… when My friends will be like you play golf? I will just show them videos like, ‘Look at this f**king dude. Tell me that’s not cool.’”

Golf before Woods’s arrival has seen its fair share of entertainers. None more than King Arnold Palmer himself. Then there was Chi Chi Rodriguez and, even at a later stage, a Marlboro-hanging Jack Daniels-gulping John Daly. But Woods took golf to a territory in the modern age that none before him had the scope to do. 

Be it his baggy Sunday red tees, his Tiger headcover, the roaring fist pumps, and swaggering club twirls, undeniably the Hall of Famer took the sport to a level many didn’t think it could reach. Not to mention the athleticism Tiger Woods brought to golf. A trend—if we can call it that—initiated by Greg Norman.

“Golf was a dorky sport,” Max Homa wasn’t very wrong, even though it might rub some the wrong way. Homa, of course, got to know Woods from up close after turning pro. He also had the chance to pair up with the 15-time major champion in the Masters. 

Max Homa is a Tiger Woods fanboy, and he doesn’t hide it

Back in April, after pairing up with Woods for the first two rounds, Homa said, “It was awesome. It really is a dream to get to play with him here. I’ve been saying, I always wanted to just watch him hit iron shots around here, and I was right up next to him. It was really cool.” And this is what he said during the 2022 Open Championship.

It did remind him of 1997. He added, “It’s funny, how 6 years old, you’re probably just starting to develop those memories, and that’s an awesome one to start with.” Funnily enough, Woods, ever the guy to bestow nicknames on his fellow pros (remember how he called Jordan Spieth, ‘Spiethy’?), called Homa by two nicknames. 

The first one, ‘Homie’ was supercool for the six-time PGA Tour winner. The next ‘Maxie’ is what Homa feared the most. Recounting the incident, the 33-year-old said, “On Friday morning, we’re getting the cards and Tiger had my card. We had to swap them around so he’s like, ‘Oh I had Maxy’s card’ and I’m like ‘oh f***, I’m back!’” 

Homa will tee off at the Zozo Championship this week in Japan. Woods, meanwhile, is in a post-season hiatus recovering from a back surgery. It’s likely the 82-time PGA Tour winner will tee off in the PNC Championship with his son, Charlie, and then at the Hero World Challenge in December. Meanwhile, Woods’s TGL will kick off on January 7. Clearly, the former world no.1 is keeping himself busy. Homa, notably, is a member of the Jupiter Links Golf Club, Woods’s TGL team.