“You just have to look back and appreciate the time” - Max Homa reflects on Farmers Insurance Open's impact and acknowledges business realities

Max Homa is experienced enough to know that operating as a business is vital to the existence of professional golf. He expressed his opinion clearly when discussing Farmers Insurance's decision to withdraw sponsorship from the San Diego Open.

Homa is currently at Torrey Pines as the defending champion of the Farmers Insurance Open, an event that will be changing its name by 2026, since its name sponsor decided not to renew its contract with the PGA Tour.

Max Homa offered his opinion on Tuesday during a press conference. Among other topics, Homa gave talked about the impending end of the sponsorship relationship between Farmers Insurance and the San Diego Open.

This was part of what he said (via TenGolf):

"It's been amazing having Farmers here for as long as they have been. But they are a business they have other things going on so you just have to look back and appreciate the time that they've spent and the money they put into this event."

"Of course this or any of the events we play ever were to go away it would be a shame but you understand that this is a business and that you got to do what's right for that."

Max Homa won the 2023 edition of the Farmers Insurance Open with a score of 13-under 275, two strokes ahead of Keegan Bradley.

How has Max Homa fared at Torrey Pines so far?

Max Homa has played the Farmers Insurance Open seven times, with mixed results. In addition, Homa played at Torrey Pines in the 2021 US Open and failed to dig deep.

In his first three starts at the Farmers Insurance Open (2014, 2015 and 2017), Homa missed the cut, with scores of +7, even and +4, respectively. He returned in 2020 and did much better, finishing T9 with a score of -9.

Homa was in the Top 20 in 2021 (T18, -5), but missed the cut again in 2022 (-2). However, his comeback was in style, as he claimed the title in 2023.

The 2021 US Open was Homa's sixth official start at Torrey Pines (in PGA Tour events). He could only score +7 and missed the cut by three strokes.

Homa has played 22 rounds of golf at Torrey Pines corresponding to official PGA Tour tournaments, and only six of them have been in the 60s. His best round at Torrey Pines was fourth in the 2023 Farmers Insurance Open (66).

As for his least unlucky score at the La Jolla facility, it was the second of the 2014 Farmers Insurance Open, when he could only manage a 78.