Max Homa expresses frustration by tossing club following criticism of emotional reactions.
Just a few days after stating that on-course outbursts reflect poorly and that professional golfers “should be held to a higher standard,” Max Homa expressed his frustration by throwing his club following a poor shot during the final round of the RBC Heritage on Sunday.
Homa was unable to return to the fairway after his drive landed in a tree-lined waste area on the par-5 15th hole at Harbour Town Golf Links in Hilton Head, South Carolina. In anger, he tossed his club downward, causing it to bounce approximately 15 yards.
On Wednesday, when questioned about Sergio GarcΓa’s behavior on a tee box at the Masters the previous week, Homa was straightforward about his perspective.
“I disapprove of people breaking clubs. I disapprove of individuals damaging the golf course because we have to deal with it, and I believe that breaking clubs makes us appear very, very spoiled,” Homa stated on Wednesday.
“… I certainly think damaging a golf course would be at the top of the list simply because the rest of us have to play it.”
GarcΓa, who received a code-of-conduct warning, apologized for his outburst on social media Tuesday, expressing “regret” for striking his driver into the ground on the No. 2 tee box at Augusta National, causing visible damage, before hitting his driver against a cooler and breaking the head off the club.
This is not the first instance of Homa losing his temper, and he acknowledged this on Wednesday. He was seen throwing a club down the fairway during last year’s PGA Championship and also at the WM Phoenix Open in 2023.
“I use a lot of inappropriate language. I make a strong effort to avoid doing it when children are present,” Homa remarked on Wednesday. “So I believe there is some awareness needed, like being cautious of your surroundings. Not that I have never done it.”
The PGA Tour has been working on a code-of-conduct policy for competitions, with the Masters being the first tournament to implement it. Other major tournaments are also expected to adopt the policy this year, which escalates to disqualification after a third violation.
