Golf

Max Homa wins at Riviera as Tony Finau’s wait goes on

Second PGA Tour win for Homa came in a playoff after a bogey from Finau

Max Homa stands with the trophy and tournament host Tiger Woods after defeating Tony Finau in a playoff to win The Genesis Invitational at Riviera Country Club. Photo: Harry How/Getty Images

Mon Feb 22 2021 - 06:46

The hometown advantage propelled Max Homa to victory at the Genesis Invitational at Pacific Palisades, California, as the Los Angeles-area native got the best of Tony Finau on the second playoff hole Sunday.

Born in nearby Burbank, Homa grew up just north of Los Angeles in Valencia and was a frequent visitor to Riviera Country Club in his youth to watch the tournament won on Sunday in dramatic fashion. It was his second career victory after winning the Wells Fargo Championship at Quail Hollow Club in Charlotte in 2019.

After Homa scrambled for par while up against a tree at No 10 to match Finau on the first playoff hole, he delivered a two-putt par at the Par 3 14th hole. Finau found the bunker off the tee and failed to get up and down, missing a 10-foot par putt to give Homa the victory.

Homa, who received the winner’s trophy from tournament host Tiger Woods, had a chance to take the tournament on the 72nd hole, but his three foot birdie putt on 18 for the victory missed on the left edge of the cup and led to the playoff.

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Homa, a longtime fan of Los Angeles’ Lakers and Dodgers, had received a call of congratulations from former Dodgers manager Tommy Lasorda following his first PGA Tour victory. Lasorda passed away in January.

“I have been watching this tournament my whole life, and it is why I fell in love with golf,” Homa said on the CBS broadcast, near tears as his voice cracked. “... Tiger is another reason I’m into golf. I had good feelings this week and I have been playing great. It’s the city of champions, Dodgers, Lakers and me now. It’s a weird feeling.”

Homa was two shots off Sam Burns’ lead when the final round began and posted a bogey-free five under par 66, only to be matched at 12 under by a 64 from Finau, who had eight birdies and a bogey.

After birdies at 16 and 17, Finau finished with a par at 18 after his approach shot hung up in the left rough just outside the fringe.

It was the third time that Finau has missed out on a tournament victory in a playoff. He also was runner-up after a playoff at the 2018 WGC-HSBC Champions and the 2020 Waste Management Open. His only PGA Tour victory came in a playoff at the 2016 Puerto Rico Open.

It was also Finau’s third consecutive top-five finish, all in California, after finishing fourth in The American Express at La Quinta and tied for second in the Farmers Insurance Open at San Diego.

“Right now, I’m disappointed,” Finau said. “I didn’t execute the shot I was trying to hit on the last (playoff) hole, and it ended up biting me in the butt. But I shot 64 today on a day when I needed to just to get into a playoff. As I look back on the week, there will be a lot to grow from.”

Burns fell out of the lead for the first time since Thursday’s opening round when he found a fairway bunker at the Par 4 15th hole and finished with a bogey. He slipped to 10 under for the tournament as Finau and Homa vaulted into the lead.

Burns, who has not won on the PGA Tour, was attempting a wire-to-wire victory but played his final seven holes in two over par on Sunday. He needed a birdie at 18 to join Finau and Homa in the playoff, but hit his approach shot missed the green and his chip fell short of the hole.

Burns finished alone in third place at 11 under, while Australia’s Cameron Smith (67) finished in fourth place at nine under. A group of three tied for fifth place at seven under included Spain’s Jon Rahm (66), Norway’s Viktor Hovland (67) and England’s Matthew Fitzpatrick (71).

Sunday began with 23 golfers back on the course early in the morning to complete the third round that was halted because of darkness. Saturday’s play was delayed nearly four hours because of high winds.

Fitzpatrick was tied with Homa and Dustin Johnson in second place at seven under when the final round began before closing with an even-par round.

Johnson, who was playing in his first tournament in the United States after winning the Saudi Invitational earlier this month, struggled to a one over par 72 on Sunday and finished in a four-way tie for eighth place at six under.

Collated final round scores and totals in the USPGA The Genesis Invitational, The Riviera Country Club, California (USA unless stated, Par 71):

272 Max Homa 66 70 70 66 (Won on second Play off hole), Tony Finau 71 67 70 64

273 Sam Burns 64 66 74 69

275 Cameron Smith (Aus) 69 68 71 67

277 Matthew Fitzpatrick (Eng) 66 71 69 71, Viktor Hovland (Nor) 71 69 70 67, Jon Rahm (Spa) 70 69 72 66

278 Wyndham Clark 67 69 73 69, Dustin Johnson 68 67 71 72, Matt Jones (Aus) 67 72 69 70, Francesco Molinari (Ita) 68 73 70 67

279 Talor Gooch 68 71 69 71, Alexander Noren (Swe) 67 70 71 71, Patrick Rodgers 71 69 70 69

280 Patrick Cantlay 67 70 71 72, James Hahn 74 66 71 69, Xander Schauffele 71 69 71 69, Jordan Spieth 68 68 73 71, Will Zalatoris 69 69 75 67

281 Rickie Fowler 70 71 73 67, Branden Grace (Rsa) 71 69 70 71, Matthew NeSmith 70 70 73 68, Chengtsung Pan (Tai) 71 70 72 68, Scottie Scheffler 67 74 74 66, Nick Taylor (Can) 72 69 71 69

282 Jim Furyk 69 70 74 69, Lanto Griffin 69 71 74 68, Adam Hadwin (Can) 71 71 70 70, Scott Harrington 71 66 75 70, Andrew Landry 69 69 72 72, Cameron Tringale 69 71 73 69

283 Bo Hoag 73 68 73 69, Mackenzie Hughes (Can) 69 71 74 69, Jason Kokrak 67 68 74 74, Marc Leishman (Aus) 69 73 73 68, Kyle Stanley 70 71 71 71, Andrew Putnam 71 71 73 68

284 Tyler Duncan 69 70 75 70, Russell Henley 69 72 73 70, Brooks Koepka 68 70 77 69, Kevin Na 70 72 72 70, Adam Scott (Aus) 69 73 76 66

285 Wesley Bryan 69 70 78 68, Cameron Davis (Aus) 71 69 77 68, Brian Harman 72 69 71 73, Collin Morikawa 73 69 70 73, Sebastian Munoz (Col) 68 71 76 70, Joaquin Niemann (Chi) 67 68 78 72, J. T. Poston 74 68 72 71, Brendan Steele 71 69 74 71, Sepp Straka (Aut) 70 71 73 71

286 Charley Hoffman 69 72 74 71, Tom Hoge 72 69 73 72, Danny Lee (Nzl) 72 70 72 72, Tyler McCumber 67 68 77 74, Kevin Streelman 72 66 75 73

287 J. B. Holmes 70 69 75 73, Nate Lashley 73 68 75 71, Richy Werenski 70 71 76 70

288 Keegan Bradley 68 74 75 71, Brian Gay 72 69 77 70

289 Charl Schwartzel (Rsa) 75 67 73 74, Harold Varner 70 72 77 70

290 Scott Piercy 73 67 75 75, Matthew Wolff 71 70 77 72

293 Kyoung-Hoon Lee (Kor) 70 72 79 72

294 Sung-Hoon Kang (Kor) 71 68 83 72