2021 Wells Fargo: Title Defense Does NOT Start Well for Max Homa

Due to an oddity in the schedule, Max Homa came into the 2021 Wells Fargo Championship as the defending champion. This, despite the fact that he won at Quail Hollow in 2019. There was no Wells Fargo last year due to COVID-19.

Homa figured to have a lot of momentum on his side heading into the event. Not only has he won here before but he has also added another win, at the Genesis Invitational this year.

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However, things did not get off to a good start for Homa at the Wells Fargo on Thursday. And it only got worse has he went along.

Homa started his round on the back side, opening on the par-5 10th hole. There, he hit his drive way left and into the trees. His second shot crossed the fairway and ended up in the right rough, still 140 yards from the green.

His third shot ended up to the right of the green. He then chilly dipped his wedge shot with his fourth. His fifth shot got him on the green about 15 feet from the hole. He missed his bogey putt and settled for an opening double bogey.

After pars on the 11th and 12th holes, Homa started a bad stretch. He would bogey the 13th, 14th, 15th and 16th holes to drop to 6-over par on his round. Two pars closed his opening nine of 6-over par 42.

Homa was better on his second nine, but he still had some struggles.

He parred the first and second holes before a bogey on the par-4 third hole. However, he bounced back with a birdie on the par-3 fourth to get back to 6-over.

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After a par on the fifth hole, Homa bogeyed the par-3 sixth hole to slip to 7-over. However, he once again bounced back with a birdie, this one at the par-5 seventh, to get back to 6-over.

Homa closed his round with two pars to shoot a 6-over par 77. Certainly not how he hoped to begin his title defense.

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