Six-Time Winner Refuses to Explain Mysterious Decision to Go It Alone at Kinsale

POWELL, Ohio — Max Homa arrived at Monday’s U.S. Open qualifier carrying more than just his golf bag – he was also carrying the weight of unanswered questions about a mysterious caddie situation that he absolutely refused to discuss.

The six-time PGA Tour winner lugged his own black carry bag for a grueling 36-hole qualifier at Kinsale Golf and Fitness Club, declining multiple offers for help and refusing to explain why his recent caddie, Bill Harke, was nowhere to be found.

When directly asked if he had split with Harke, Homa’s response was swift and telling: “I’d much rather talk about the golf than all the questions about the caddie.”

Cryptic Clues About Going Solo

But Homa couldn’t help himself from dropping hints about his solo decision, offering perhaps the most revealing comment when asked how his attitude held up during the marathon day.

“Pretty good. Seems to be better than when someone’s standing next to me, for some reason, so I might need to just walk by myself more,” he said. “Maybe I just looked at it as a nice peaceful day by myself. Probably got to battle some demons and just kind of have nobody to lean on. So sometimes maybe that helps a little bit.”

The comment suggests potential friction between player and caddie, though Homa remained tight-lipped about specifics. His caddie carousel has been well-documented – he parted ways with longtime looper Joe Greiner before the Masters and brought in Harke as his replacement.

Painful Finish

The golf itself was a microcosm of Homa’s recent struggles. After playing solid golf for most of the day, he gave away crucial shots at the worst possible moments. A bogey-bogey finish in the morning round cost him momentum, and then disaster struck on his final hole.

Standing over a 25-foot eagle putt on the par-5 ninth (his 18th hole) that would have secured automatic qualification, Homa’s effort wandered six feet past the hole. He then pulled the birdie attempt, leaving himself in a playoff for the final qualifying spot.

“That’s going to be probably painful,” Homa said. “I haven’t carried my bag 36 holes in a while so I’m a little tired.”

The playoff didn’t go his way either, as Cameron Young made birdie on the first extra hole to claim the lone remaining spot at Oakmont.

Deflecting to the End

Even when pressed one final time about his caddie situation, Homa remained stone-faced: “I wanted to carry for 36 holes,” he said flatly before walking away.

The dramatic qualifier caps a difficult period for Homa, who has tumbled from a career-high sixth in the world rankings to 90th. Currently 110th in the FedEx Cup standings, he’s entered in this week’s RBC Canadian Open, where a victory could vault him into the top 60 in the world rankings and earn an automatic U.S. Open berth.

Whether he’ll have Harke back on the bag or continue his mysterious solo act remains to be seen.