“No! Go in!”
Max Homa shouted as he put his hands on his head and slumped over. Homa’s tee ball on Saturday at Kapalua’s 204-yard, par-3 eighth hole had come within inches of a hole-in-one, landing on the back fringe and nearly spinning back, with help from the slope, into the cup.
The bad news: Homa would settle for birdie, one of four in his first eight holes to begin his third round at the Sentry Tournament of Champions.
The good news: Homa’s playing competitor, Justin Thomas, was a shoulder to cry on, embracing Homa with a friendly hug. The Woody to his Buzz.
“I thought it had no chance,” Thomas started, seeming just as heartbroken as Homa, “and then I thought it had a really good chance.”
The two walked off the tee box smiling.
Homa went on to card 10 total birdies and shoot 10-under 62 to rocket up the leaderboard.