Famend broadcaster, podcaster, and golf journalist Shane Bacon coined a now well-known expression throughout the {golfing} lexicon: a “psycho scorecard,” which is used to explain a participant’s spherical that’s, frankly, all over.
Max Homa’s entrance 9 at Torrey Pines on Wednesday suits that billing.
On the par-4 1st gap, the identical gap that gave Tiger Woods some bother in the course of the 2008 U.S. Open, Homa made a triple bogey seven after discovering the golf green off the tee. He pulled his method shot left into the sand and hammered his third shot over the inexperienced and into the proper greenside bunker. He left his fourth shot within the lure, hit his fifth shot to eight ft previous the opening, after which missed the comebacker.
What a begin.
On the subsequent gap, a 396-yard par-4, Homa caught his method to about 5 ft away however missed the brief birdie strive. A two-putt par on the picturesque par-3 third gap adopted, however extra bother spilled his manner on the difficult par-4 4th.
Homa missed the golf green, leaving his drive within the sand off to the proper. He then laid up about 60 yards wanting the pin, however made a grave mistake by leaving his third shot within the bunker in entrance of the inexperienced. Homa then obtained up and down for a bogey.
Like that, Homa sat at 4-over by 4 holes at one in all his favourite tournaments — a match he received in 2023 by two pictures over Keegan Bradley. However his troubles didn’t finish there.
On the par-4 fifth, which measures 455 yards, Homa missed the golf green left and located the bunker off the tee. He then hit his second shot simply wanting the inexperienced, a terrific restoration that gave him a strong probability to save lots of par. Homa hit his third shot to about 5 ft away however inexplicably three-putted from there to card a double bogey.
Abruptly, Homa discovered himself in useless final and at 6-over par after spending simply an hour on Torrey Pines South. How might this occur so rapidly?
Effectively, fortunately for Homa, he redeemed himself considerably on the par-5 sixth gap.
There, Homa holed out for an eagle-three, instantly wiping away the scars of the blunder that occurred on the opening earlier than.
A two-putt par from 13 ft adopted on the par-4 seventh. However Homa then made one other brief sport fake pas on the par-3 eighth. He couldn’t stand up and down from simply in entrance of the inexperienced, surrendering one other shot and plummeting again down the leaderboard.
Homa then parred the par-5 ninth to submit a 5-over 41 for his opening 9 holes at Torrey Pines — the worst 9-hole stretch of his PGA Tour profession on the South Course.
It’s additionally the second time he failed to interrupt 40 on Torrey Pines South. Homa made 4 bogies and 5 pars en path to a 40 in the course of the second spherical of the 2014 Farmers Insurance coverage Open. In what was his first begin as knowledgeable at Torrey Pines, he consequently missed the minimize that week.
Possibly he can proper the ship over the ultimate 27 holes this time round earlier than the minimize slashes the sphere in half after Thursday’s second spherical. No matter what occurs, although, Homa’s “pyscho scorecard” will stay in Torrey Pines lore for fairly awhile.
Jack Milko is a golf employees author for SB Nation’s Taking part in Via. Observe him on X @jack_milko.