SOUTHAMPTON, N.Y. – There weren’t many cheers Sunday at National Golf Links, largely because the result was never seriously in doubt and the hole locations were tucked on ridges and slopes.
No matter.
Max Homa sparked the loudest roar of this Walker Cup with a hole-in-one on the 105-yard sixth hole.
That it came in a losing effort – 2 and 1, to GB&I’s Kevin Phelan – mattered little. The United States went on to win the 44th playing of this event, 17-9, their most lopsided victory in 16 years.
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“I was in no way playing well,” said Homa, who was 3 down through five holes. “But I absolutely flushed it. It was one of the few good ones in the beginning of that round.”
The crowd gave Homa a standing ovation as he approached the green, and teammate Justin Thomas, playing nearby on the 12th hole, rushed over and congratulated him on the ace, the sixth of his career.
“He said, ‘1s will win a lot of holes,’” Homa said, smiling.
The 2013 NCAA champion will turn pro after this event. He said he’s waiting to hear on a few sponsor exemptions for this fall, and he’s scheduled to play in the first stage of Q-School next month.
“It would have been bittersweet if we didn’t win because I felt like we would have missed something,” Homa said. “But this isn’t bittersweet. It’s pretty sweet right now.”
