Although he hadn’t seen a top-10 finish in 14 months, entering Silvis, Illinois, Max Homa had one target– “Be happy.” John Deere Classic was supposedly a winnable event for Homa, given the small field and less starry names to compete against. For most parts, he did achieve the goal. Until the final day when things took an intense turn on Sunday. At least 19 players within two strokes of the lead at one point; nine different players shared the top spot too, including the American. However, it again wasn’t his event to win despite shooting 63-68-68 the first three days.

Everything was going well to start with birdies on 2 to 4 on Sunday to lead the field by two shots. However, he got stuck at the final 14 holes playing one over par to shoot 69 and settle for a T-5 finish. Although it was “Super disappointing,” Homa also acknowledged, “But game felt good, so that’s nice.” And that indeed is nice for the 6x PGA Tour winner who started his year at 41st but tanked to 98th entering TPC John Deere with seven missed cuts. So, while he can see his game returning despite the loss, he is keeping his energy up and even cracking some jokes along the way.

A day after the tournament, Homa put his feelings into words with a carousel of images from John Deere Run. He captioned the post, “Disappointing finish but huge thx to the @johndeereclassic for an amazing week. The fans were unbelievable! I think I lost 15 pounds of water weight so thankful for that as well,” Max Homa wrote on Instagram after his T5 finish at TPC Deere Run.

While the result may not have gone his way, Homa clearly appreciated the energy and support he felt throughout the week. The John Deere Classic, known for its loyal and family-friendly crowd, brought out fans in big numbers, many of whom followed Homa closely across all four rounds. But the thing is, this wasn’t just another stop on his calendar, as Homa had chosen to play here with a clear purpose in mind.

As for the humor, the comment likely referred to the brutal heat and humidity at TPC Deere Run during the first 2 rounds, where players battled soaring temperatures throughout the tournament– 69°F and 94% humidity on average. It was Homa’s way of easing the sting, using humor to wrap up a week that had both promise and pressure.

Knowing his current form wasn’t where it needed to be, Homa chose the John Deere Classic for a reason. With a relatively weaker field and fewer big names in the mix, this was his best shot in weeks to chase a win. It’s the same reason he’s not playing the Scottish Open, a much stronger field, filled with players fine-tuning their games ahead of The Open, and that isn’t the ideal setting for someone still trying to rediscover rhythm. This cost him because a lot was at stake. 

A win could’ve pushed him close to the top 50 OWGR, making him a potential second or third alternate for The Open. He didn’t have a direct path into the field even with a win, but it would’ve brought him right to the edge. Still, despite the sting of what slipped away, Homa kept things lighthearted. 

But really, did performance play a part in this defeat?

Did the pressure catch up to Max Homa?

Heading into the final round of the John Deere Classic, Max Homa made it clear he wasn’t letting the pressure get to him. When reporters tried to get inside his head, hoping for insight into his mindset or strategy, Homa didn’t offer any over-analysis or dramatic talk. “I let you guys process it. I’m just going to eat, sleep, wake up, and get ready to play a good round of golf,” he said, brushing off any need for a deep strategy or overthinking.

Still, the media wasn’t done yet. One reporter followed up by pointing out something Homa had said the night before. He had mentioned that even if things didn’t go his way over the weekend, he’d still walk away feeling good about the progress he had made. But now that he was so close to the lead, they wanted to know if that feeling had changed.

“No. I believe in myself wholeheartedly. I don’t expect a whole lot from myself. I’m just going to go be myself tomorrow,” he said, showing that while he had full confidence in his game, he wasn’t about to put unnecessary pressure on himself.

Even though he didn’t let anything rattle him, he still couldn’t keep the momentum going all the way through Sunday. Maybe it was just one of those days, or maybe the luck just didn’t roll his way, but either way, the wait for that long-overdue win continues.