Max Homa played his best 36 holes of the season during the first two rounds of the John Deere Classic. He had not shot below a 64 in two years, as he did during the first round (63), while his two-round score (131) improved by three on his best from 2025.
He followed that up with a 3-under 68 on Saturday to close his third round at 14-under. That has him tied for second, one shot off the lead.
As you might expect, Homa has every intention of extending this good run as long as possible and, hopefully, breaking the stretch of poor results he’s been on.
“I have a plan,” he said, in a very cryptic way, after his performance.
David Berding/Getty Images
The imaginations of everyone in the press room probably ran wild when Homa said this. However, the six-time PGA Tour winner chose not to go into details about his strategy for his finish at TPC Deere Run.
“I’m just trying to keep getting better every day. I don’t particularly worry about what place I’m in on the leaderboard. If I’m up near it on Sunday, that’s when you start to think a little bit and game plan.”
“But for the most part, just try to get out there every day and kind of take what I have and shoot the lowest score I can.”
Homa’s ‘Best 36 Holes’ At a Glance
Homa carded nine birdies and a bogey on Thursday for an 8-under 63. The last time Homa carded a 63 or better was in the second round of the 2023 BMW Championship, when he posted a 62.
During the second round of the John Deere Classic, played on Independence Day, Homa carded five birdies and two bogeys for a 3-under 68. His 36-hole score of 131 is an excellent improvement of the 134 (66-68) he posted during the first two rounds of the Truist Championship.
Homa had only one other 36-hole score of 135 or better all season. That came in the third and fourth rounds at The Sentry, when he carded 67 and 68 (135).
As you probably guessed already, he had not posted a score of 131 or better for 36 holes since the first and second rounds of the aforementioned 2023 BMW Championship, when he carded 68 and 62 (130).
The question remains: Can the PGA Tour fan favorite close the deal on Sunday and earn his first win in more than two years?
More Golf: LeBron James’ golfing video goes viral for exact reason you think it would