“It’s kind of freeing playing Thursday, not even thinking about anything but winning the golf tournament, but back feels against the wall,” Homa said after signing his first-round scorecard. “It feels anytime you lip out a putt, it just hurts a little bit more. Part of it, I think I’ll learn from because I think the mindset you have on weeks like this, although you don’t want them, is something to take forward with you when the season starts up again next year.”