The very first thing you could find out about Max Homa is that he constructed a following by being genuinely humorous and self-deprecating on Twitter over time.
The second factor you could know is that Homa’s going by means of it proper now. He’s in the course of his worst PGA Tour season since 2017, when he wasn’t but established and did not preserve his card.
“Had a number of caddies hit me up just lately hoping to crew up,” Homa tweeted early that yr. “They heard they often get weekends off which is seemingly a terrific promoting level.” An A-plus line.
Within the Elon period of Twitter — or X, should you completely insist — sure prolific posters have misplaced curiosity within the platform or drifted to different websites. One of many greatest subtractions for sports activities followers has been Homa, whose final submit on that app got here Feb. 3.
Talking earlier than the John Deere Basic final week, Homa defined he takes breaks from Twitter and Instagram due to the vitriol folks ship strangers’ method seemingly with out hesitation.
“For those who wouldn’t select to, like, sit round a desk with someone who’s being that imply, I don’t know, you’ll at all times rise up,” Homa mentioned. “You’ll at all times rise up. For those who have been proper there and somebody was being impolite to you, you’ll both ask them to depart otherwise you would go away.”
Like clockwork, Homa was confirmed proper.
Because of an opening-round 63, he was in rivalry all week on the Deere. Homa briefly held the solo lead Sunday after three early birdies, however he missed essential putts down the stretch and tied for fifth — nonetheless his greatest displaying of 2025 by a mile.
Quickly after posting a thank-you to his followers, Homa shared two messages he acquired — the primary from his Instagram DMs. “I hope you (expletive) kill your self dude,” was the way it started, and in some way, it solely obtained worse from there.
The second was a Venmo request for $1,900 “(as a result of) you’ll be able to’t putt beneath strain,” and whereas that message is hardly as malicious, it will get to the core of what golfers and so many different professional athletes are coping with. I’d wager — pun supposed — that the overwhelming majority of those hateful messages come from aggrieved sports activities bettors.
Excuse me, however you guess $1,900 hard-earned American {dollars} on Max Homa to win a golf event? The man who hasn’t received in additional than two years and dropped to 99th on the earth rankings? Even Homa himself would have gladly suggested you towards such a silly transfer. “Gamble like an enormous boy Carl and take ur lumps like the remainder of us,” he commented on the Venmo screengrab.
At the least one remark (predictably, on Twitter) implied Homa was a hypocrite as a result of he used to roast his followers’ golf swings. Buddy, don’t damage your self stretching to date. His followers despatched him these movies, begging to be featured. And Homa was method too humorous and method too type to stoop to loss of life threats.
Others have mentioned he shouldn’t be checking social media after a loss. Right here’s the humorous factor about golf: You lose mainly on a regular basis, should you subscribe to the “For those who’re not first, you’re final” idea of sports activities. A T5 in all probability had Homa feeling higher about his sport than he has in ages.
Extra to the purpose, it shouldn’t be the athletes’ burden to withstand taking a look at their telephones; it must be on the platforms to raised police hate speech and loss of life threats.
I can inform this received’t be the final time I write about offended gamblers focusing on athletes. In latest weeks, the Houston Astros employed safety for Lance McCullers Jr.’s household as a result of a gambler threatened the lives of his youngsters. Sprinter Gabby Douglas was adopted round a meet by a heckler who later bragged his actions “made my parlay win.” There’s that slippery slope, the place the net vitriol trickles into actual life.
Homa will probably be high-quality, and he’ll in all probability win on the PGA Tour once more. Nevertheless it’s a disgrace that somebody whose recognition was constructed by social media now has to really feel like partaking the way in which he as soon as did is now not definitely worth the bother.
