Conversations with Champions: Max Homa said that everyone else calls him the “social media guy”. I think I’m still a pretty damn good golfer.

Max Homa stole Friday’s show at the 2023 Farmers Insurance Open. He volunteered to take a microphone and host a live chat-back during CBS’s coverage.

Homa was on the field Saturday shooting a final round 66 to win his sixth PGA Tour title. He had been down six shots. Homa, a Californian kid, won the fourth round on three courses in his home state.

Homa moved three places to No. 13 in the Official World Golf Ranking, and No. 7 in the Golfweek/Sagarin ranking.

Homa’s greatest thrill was when his infant son Cameron was greenside with his wife Lacey while he won a difficult South Course victory.

.@maxhoma23‘s first win as a dad pic.twitter.com/jP7nUrIJtN

Golf on CBS @GolfonCBS January 29, 2023

Here are all the things Homa said Saturday at Torrey Pines.

Question : How did you get more comfortable at Torrey?

Max Homa said exactly that Joe, Homa’s caddie, had said. I believe that Sunday, I shot 5 under in my final round. I felt like I finally understood how to play South Course. I have always played the North well. My golf game has changed. It’s an advantage to me that I can drive the ball well, which is a huge advantage. While you don’t have to be in the grass all the time, you must if you want make birdies. You’re likely to make many pars and even bogeys at this course. However, I found that I was more comfortable with certain tees. My staple game, my iron game, has been what I am most proud of. This golf course allows me to do that. It’s nice to be comfortable on South, knowing that I don’t have to play on North. Joe mentioned that once we reach the weekend, or maybe Friday, the third round, it becomes a true who’s who of the top. It is necessary to play extremely, very well on a difficult course. That was what Joe said. The final round of the T-9 gave me confidence that I could play this course. I think I was a bit psyched when I first came in, but I soon realized that not everyone needs to hit every fairway. It works for me if I play my game.

Q. What have you noticed about yourself in the past two to three years?

MH: Everyone calls me the social media guy. I think I’m still a very good golfer. I think my results have helped me to build that foundation. I like to make stupid jokes, laugh out loud, and tweet about weird things like a child. This is what I love when I’m at work, practice, or play in tournaments. It was amazing. It doesn’t seem like anything has changed. It is getting more stable. Julie [Elion], a sports psychologist has helped me see a lot of different things. Mentally planning your day. I didn’t think about any technical or statistical goals this week. It was more like I was going to learn something today and put into practice what I had been doing. It was a fantastic job. I told her that last night and she asked me if I would like to talk. I replied that I was all right because I thought yesterday’s game plan was great. Although I didn’t play the best round of golf, I did everything I could and was able to put myself in a position where I could win a tournament.

Q: L.A. man, winning in San Diego. That hasn’t happened very often lately. Did you hear anything from Padres fans when you were there in the gallery

MH: For the six days that I have been here. (Laughs.) It’s all good fun. It’s just crazy to hear them talk. They are under all the pressure this year. They have spent the entire amount of money we did, so if they lose, they will hear the same things they chirp at Dodger fans. It’s nice. It’s nice to win the state of California. I can also carry that L.A. emblem on my head and in mine, Joe. It’s nice. It’s nice. I don’t speak back to anyone in the crowd about Dodger-Padres, but Joe does. I love listening to Joe talk to them about their trash.

Q. A more serious question about golf: What is it about you that allows you to overcome deficits and come back the next day?

MH: I believe I do a great job when I am behind the “one shot at one time” mentality and know that it is a marathon. I have been in this position before and have succeeded a few times. I think I was 7 back and won the Chicago one. Just remember that feeling of “just go play golf and see what happens”, but it’s difficult to win tournaments. I believe this kind of always helps. Sam Ryder is a great golfer. I know he will win many tournaments out here, but he hasn’t yet won. It’s not easy to win. I know this. It’s not something I haven’t done before, but I know that experience is the key. Jon Rahm is probably exhausted. He’s won so many tournaments and made so many birdies. There is so much to do that it is hard to get ahead of yourself. I have my moments, but it’s not like today. It’s impossible to force yourself to play 64 here. Tony shot 64 yesterday and Jon shot 66. I’m certain they’d agree. Although it was a round earlier than expected, they played great golf and the ball went in the hole. Your game is important. Yesterday was a better day than today because I had it. I had my game, played great, swung it well, but didn’t make any progress. I held it together, shot 1 under, and allowed myself to play today’s round of golf. It’s just patience that I have leaned on, even when I was behind. Knowing how difficult it is to win here. It’s a great game with many talented players. The golf courses can be very difficult. The final rounds can seem like a marathon, and they take forever.

Q. Does winning feel any different now that you’re a parent?

MH: Just a little. It’s funny, but I do want him to remember it. As a professional athlete, your kid is constantly yelling at you, “Oh, it’s”, and you know that you won’t have the same time with him. My wife seems to be able to manage everything. It was a terrible birth. It was the most frightening. It was hard to describe, but it was an incredible day. Get a new son, Cam. It was also the most horrible day of my life. It was a terrible day, I thought. …whatever. She’s made it so simple. Although I still practice, I find that I manage my time better.

It’s different, I think, to answer your question. I feel like it’s more difficult because I want to spend as many time with Cam, helping her, and having fun, making smiles, and getting screamed at. She knows I want to be the best golfer in the world and does an incredible job of letting me do both. It’s true that I now work hard at two things, which makes it feel a lot more challenging but also a million times more rewarding. It was great to see them at the 18th green, knowing that I was about to win a tournament. He doesn’t know what I did. I will, however, tell him the story. He will likely think I’m crazy, but it will be my corny dad story I tell every Thanksgiving.

Q. Have you ever changed your diaper since you left the course?

MH: It will. Tomorrow will be the first day of sunlight, and my son will require a diaper change several times before then. While I will need to change diapers, I’ll be enjoying every minute of it just like I do. It will feel better than usual. I won’t care if he screams at my face. Although these tournaments can be hard, you will feel the best when you win. He can poop away, and I’ll just stay here for him.

Q: In comparison to the six other wins, you lost your card twice and received your card back on Korn Ferry Tour. Is there anything you feel has made it more competitive?

MH: I believe I have a great view of my love for the game. I have seen most of it. When I feel nervous or feeling wobbly or getting anxious, I remind myself to do this every day. It’s a constant reminder to myself that you have seen the darkness in this game. Enjoy it, and enjoy the beauty. People are chanting my name in ways I couldn’t have imagined. It’s true. It’s very calming. And I have always been a little chipper on my shoulder. I grew up a big Kobe fan. He seemed to love playing basketball like that, and I have always enjoyed trying to learn how to play the game. These moments are the best. When I won the Wells Fargo in ’19, my first PGA Tour tournament, I remember thinking that I would be playing with Rory McIlroy. I told myself that he has never seen the pressures I have and that he doesn’t know what it is like. It could all be a joke, but it was a great way to beat him. It’s the small things like this that make it all worthwhile. Everyone out there has their own story, their own chips, and their own struggles. Each person is different. It’s up to us how we handle it. However, I cannot tell you what’s happening in my head. That’s the way I’ve tried to use it.

Q: Do those four birdies in Portland still exist? Is it still possible to think of them?

MH: It’s funny. I think less about it, but I should think more about it. That’s what I mean by pressure. It was like sitting on the 15th hole, not knowing I needed to, but I decided I had to birdie the four remaining holes to be eligible for the playoff. I think I would have been out here anyways. I believe I’d have six victories anyways. I also believe I would have figured out the solution, but I’m happy that I did that.

Q: Although it was silly for Groundhog Day this week, it was still a great clip in which we asked you if you had a favorite day. You also mentioned that you wanted to make more memories and live more days. Is that a mentality you have?

MH: That’s a great question. I don’t know which day it was, but I do feel grateful. It’s been a great day on and off the course. I am happy to report that I don’t know the answer to this question right now.

Q. What did you do that allowed you to not dwell too much on the past?

MH: I think everyone is just hopeful. I’m hoping that I haven’t seen my best or my most favorite day yet. There will be many more great, great days. Today is the best day of my life. Tomorrow will be better, I hope. Maybe I’ll admit that I look forward to the day when my son thinks he can beat me. I will drop 18 to beat him, and show him what I mean. It will be a day that I look forward to. It’s all hope, I suppose. It’s something we all have, I believe. You just need to hope for the best and keep going.

Q. Have you ever had that, that natural hope?

MH: I think we all do. While there are some people who are grumpy, if you play golf, it’s best to be an eternal optimist.

Q: You’re a huge Kobe fan. When you putt on 16 to make the birdie, do you feel a little Kobe inside you? Is there anything that has changed in your mental state? Or do you keep it the same?

MH: It was something I thought about a lot throughout the day. It was at this golf tournament that we learned that he had died tragically. It is a wonderful place that I love and has a strange sadness. It’s true, I think a lot about Kobe Bryant. I believe a lot of athletes do. It’s just a small moment. It wasn’t the putt at 16, it was the putt at 13, and the second on 15. It’s just that tenacity. While everyone around you may be oohing, ahhing, and you know what’s coming, you just stand there and say that I’m going show you my guts right now and that I trust what you’ve been doing. Kobe Bryant’s lessons and his work ethic are what I took away from him. He can let the magic happen when he’s on-camera. I try to bring that with me, and embrace the chaos and pressure because that’s how I saw him do it and that was what I loved.

Q. With all the success in California, how many times have you circled U.S. Open L.A this year?

MH: I have a lot more than others. The Masters is the next major. It will be amazing, but it is possible. There are great memories of me there. I won the Pac-12s there. However, I believe that I will let many people decide that this is going to be a great opportunity for me. I want to keep playing great golf, and I hope that every one of them can be a good chance for me. It will be just as fun to play in front my friends and family. It will be nice to hear more Dodgers fans than Padres. It’s hard to see the future. If you told me right now to go to the U.S. Open tomorrow, in L.A. I would feel great. But you never know what kind of swing stuff you might be experiencing. Although I would like to think I will feel exactly the same as I do now, I am going to continue working on it and once I reach that point I will be able to look around and see how I have a great history.

Q. Did you birdie a hole when your son was there.

MH: Was it yesterday that you birdied the first one? Yesterday, I birdied 18, and Joe said, “About the time you birdied one to Cam.” I think that I birdied 6, but it didn’t feel like it was worth it to Joe so 18 yesterday will be the one that counts.

Q: Yesterday, just before we let you go you wore your earpiece for one hole on the CBS broadcast. It sounds like it was a success, everyone seemed to have a great time. Have you received any feedback from other players? Are you positive that the fact that you won the tournament will make it more interesting for others?

MH: Hopefully. This has been in the works for about two months with Andy Pazder, CBS, and everyone else. The idea is very exciting to me. It would be great if we could tweet about how others want to do it. It doesn’t matter to me if they don’t want it. It was great for fans to see, push the envelope for them. The Tour, CBS, NBC and all the broadcasting streams seem to want to enhance the viewing experience. It was amazing. It was great to win the race. People always say that Tiger wouldn’t do this and Rahm wouldn’t do this. All they care about is winning. You can have both. It was a great feeling to win that contest yesterday. It took 20 minutes and was not intrusive. Even though I didn’t want to interview the people in the booth, the person could be in your ear or your caddie’s so they could really hear us. There are a few things we could do. It’s something I hope other players will want to do. I have not heard of it yet. As we were moving from the third round to the fourth, we didn’t talk much about that yet. But I hope other players are interested. I am sure there is some interest, regardless of whether I won. We can push that idea or tweak it. I believe that golf will gain more appeal to younger viewers.