Max Homa defends Fortinet Championship title after wild final hole

Max Homa was one the ropes. He had just left his third shot from the bunker at the par-5 18th at the Silverado Resort and Spa North Course short of the green.

His opponent, Danny Willet was already one shot ahead and had less than four feet for birdie which would seal the win.

The 2022 Fortinet Championship was over.

Until it wasn’t.

Homa holed his fourth shot from a collection area left of the 18th green and then watched as Willett missed his birdie putt and then shockingly missed again, this one from nearly 5-feet, giving the the first title of the 2022-23 PGA Tour season to Homa. He successfully defends his victory from a year ago, and starts the new season off with his fifth career Tour win.

Willett looked in control for much of Sunday’s final round. He quickly grabbed the lead from 54-hole leader Justin Lower with three birdies in the first 8 holes.

Homa, who was tied with Willett through three rounds at 12-under, remained steady through the same stretch before pulling even with Willett early on the back nine thanks to three-straight birdies of his own.

Willett took control again on 14, hitting a miraculous second shot, bending some 50 yards around a tree directly in front of him and setting up a birdie giving him a one stroke advantage, which he took to 18.

The Englishman has yet to win on the PGA Tour since his dramatic victory at the 2016 Masters.

In that tournament, it was Willett who stole the show from Jordan Spieth who seemingly had the major locked up.

This time however, it was Homa who took it and Willett who let him have it.

After holing his fourth, Homa looked at his caddie Joe Greiner, slowly walked over to him and let out a big scream in jubilation.

Willett simply smiled, but in the end, he pulled the birdie putt by the hole and did the same on the par putt from even further away, both catching left lip.

Homa the new PGA Tour season with a win and takes the momentum for it plus his tied for fifth finish at the Tour Championship last month into his first team appearance at the Presidents Cup next week in Charlotte.

Homa was the only U.S. team member to tee it up in Napa and the move seems to have paid off in the best way possible for him.

Jack Hirsh

Golf.com Editor

Jack Hirsh is an assistant editor at GOLF. A Pennsylvania native, Jack is 2020 graduate of Penn State University, earning degrees in broadcast journalism and political science. He was captain of his high school golf team and still *tries* to remain competitive in local amateurs. Before joining GOLF, Jack spent two years working at a TV station in Bend, Oregon, primarily as Multimedia Journalist/reporter, but also producing, anchoring and even presenting the weather. He can be reached at jack.hirsh@golf.com.