Can Max Homa catch Davis Thompson in John Deere Classic final round? | Golf Central | Golf Channel

Ahead of what’s shaping up to be a thrilling final round at the John Deere Classic, Max Homa and Davis Thompson share takeaways from their Saturday performances before Golf Central analyzes which golfer has an edge going into Sunday’s final round. #Golf #GolfChannel #PGATour #JohnDeereClassic
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Can Max Homa catch Davis Thompson in John Deere Classic final round? | Golf Central | Golf Channel
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Golf Central on YouTube is brought to you by the new Elite family of Woods and Irons from Callaway. Look at this leaderboard. Look how stacked up it is for Championship Sunday. It’s going to be an absolute sprint to the finish line. And Max H with a three under 68 today. Only one shot back is his best position on a leaderboard after 54 holes all year. He is standing by with Haley Hunter. Thank you, Omax. The last couple of days didn’t take you long to get the birdies going, but a little bit more of a grind, especially in that middle stretch. How proud are you of the way that you were able to stay patient and just kind of grind through the middle stretch before those putts would drop?
Yeah, I mean, uh, it was so windy today, it was hard to feel like I was just getting outpaced. So, it wasn’t like I felt like everybody was shooting eight under. If you did that the first couple days, you could get a little panicky, I guess. But yeah, I was I was stoked with uh where my head was at. Uh I did everything I wanted to. I wouldn’t change, you know, much. Maybe hit one put putt a little harder. Uh hope I read it better on another putt. You know, it’s just stuff you can’t really control. So putter felt great. I think my proudest moment was just on like 12 because I hadn’t made anything and then get up on that putt and say the putter feels good, so there’s no reason to be uh kind of anxious about it. So that then I started to make a few. So that was nice.
I was just going to ask you, you had a little bit of trouble on 10 and 11. Huge par save at the 10th, but just how much momentum did that put birdie putt on the 12 give you going down the stretch? Yeah, it was good cuz I played uh 10 and 10 in the or nine in the T-shot on 10 and I don’t think I missed a golf shot and then I hit the worst five iron ever on 10 and then hit the worst nine iron ever on 11. Uh so I tried not to let that bug me standing on 12. Uh, I’ve made a lot of great swings this week. So, it was nice to just stand up whether I made birdie or not, but stand up over that sixiron and just hit it. Uh, because, uh, you know, I think I could have gotten a little bit, I guess, angsty and I didn’t let it. So, I think that was kind of the key to the round. Uh, gave me some just like almost swing momentum just to keep doing what I was doing.
You didn’t get anxious at all out there today. You just had a big smile on your face. You seemed really calm and relaxed even when things aren’t going your way. Just how much fun are you having out there right now?
I’m trying my best. It’s a hard thing for me. Uh I don’t typically have tons of fun on the golf course. Uh but it’s been a very uh a big point of emphasis this week to just enjoy whatever it is cuz I have a really cool job. Um I know I’m doing everything I can to get better at this. Uh and I guess that’s all I could ever ask myself. So the rest should just be uh enjoyable. So I’m trying my best to make it enjoyable.
This leaderboard is a little bit of a headache right now. How much does that play into your strategy tomorrow on a Sunday of how aggressive you want to be compared to maybe a Sunday where it’s a little bit more spread out?
Yeah, I think it’ll be interesting. We have a different wind tomorrow, so the golf course will be completely backwards. Um, haven’t been here in a long time, so I got real used to this win. So, uh, I don’t think I’ll pay too much attention to what I need to do tomorrow. I know I need to play good golf. Uh, I’m playing good golf, so I think if I just keep swinging it the way I am and then rolling the ball the way I am, uh, you know, I can make that decision to be more or less aggressive later in the day. Uh, so I’ll just keep trying to do what I’ve been doing.
Same meal as the first two days tonight or we going to switch it up again?
I switched it up last night. Uh, everyone got mad. They I’m not superstitious. Everyone got mad, but uh I’ll go to the same place. Duck Duck City’s been good to me. So, I’ll roll back with Colt. So, uh, it’s been a good week. I’ve been with the CBS team all week, so it’s quite nice.
I’ve been there. It’s a good spot. Thanks, Max.
Thank you very much. All right. Max Ho was last at this event. He referenced it back in 2017. So, Trip, I’m trying to figure this out. Davis Thompson is the youngest of the lot. Our leader is 26 years old. He’s coming in 70th, right on the bubble of FedEx Cup points. When you look at the people that are trying to chase him, Greo 105th in FedEx Cup points. David Lipsky has missed 11 cuts in 18 tries, including five in a row. He’s 150 or 65th in FedEx Cup points. Brian Campbell won this year. Since that win, he’s missed six cuts. He’s had one withdraw. His average finish is 40th. Camila Vagus at 43 years old, his last eight starts, three mis cuts, one withdraw, his average finish is 65th. And we already told you with Max Homa, this is the best position he’s been in all year after 54 holes. So, I guess my question to you is, is this not more than about form? This is about game reclamation. What’s in the dirt at the John Deere Classic? Well, Matt, look, it it’s always this way. I mean, there’s always guys who find something, who get it clicking at the right time late in the season. This field does not have many of the top players. As we know, they’re they’re uh heading overseas to prepare for the Scottish and the Open Championship, the last major of 2025. It’s always this way. You see guys who find some and this golf course, for whatever reason, lends itself to that. It just it is a it can be a challenging test and this year is way more challenging than it’s ever been, at least as far as the last six iterations of this of this championship. So, it’s playing firm and fast is good, but you see that, but you also see guys that are veterans that kind of find their way. Um, you know, Davis Thompson leading this tournament, uh, he’s got experience now winning. So you you look for him, he’s probably not going to make mistakes, but if he does the the guy right behind him, Max, has that experience, six wins to his credit. And what he’s done this week is really uh what you see a lot of guys do. They they they change something because what they’ve been doing isn’t working for the last year and a half. He’s been grinding. He’s been really trying to find his form again. And that just keeps beating you down and keeps grinding you down. And I’ll tell you what, having fun and changing that mindset, changing that paradigm, what it can do for you, it gives you a more light-hearted approach. It lets your talent shine, and you don’t carry bad things forward with you. Case in point, the 10th and the 11th, uh, today, as he said, and I’m going to use his word, angsty. He would have been angsty standing on the 12th T. New word invented by Max. I kind of like it. But he wasn’t because he reminded himself, look, I’m having fun this week. I’ve been swinging well. I’m going to keep doing it. But the one big change that he has made is off the tea. That is where he has been the worst. And that has been the biggest problem. If you can’t put your ball in positions to attack a golf course, it’s very difficult to play well. You can look back when he was winning prolifically in 22 and 23. He wasn’t the best off the te, but certainly those numbers are respectable, but not what he was in 24 and this year. But look at what he’s done this week. fifth. Our leader, Davis Thompson, is looking to do something that hasn’t been done since Steve Stricker. He is standing by right now with Haley Hunter. Thank you. Well, Davis, four under your last nine holes today. Just how happy are you with the way you’re able to close things out and give yourself the solo lead going into tomorrow?
Yeah, really happy. Um, kind of stalled out on the front nine. My caddy gave me a pep talk on 10T and was just able to uh kind of got lucky on 10. ball stayed up and able was to get able to get up and down and then um Bernie in 171 18 is always great.
What kind of pep talk did he give you going into the last stretch there? Yeah, I mean it’s just that it was tricky. Um the wind made it tough.
Um just keep being present minded, just focus on the task ahead and um
yeah, just just be patient with yourself.
You mentioned the wind. It was tough. About 25 mile per hour gusts at certain points today, but aside from that, how did your ball striking feel today?
Yeah, it felt good. But um I felt like I was hitting it where I was looking majority of the day. Um yeah, I mean I was I was pretty pleased with how things were going. It just I just wasn’t really scoring well in the front nine and then it was able to uh finish strong which was nice.
Did you notice just how big that putt was at the 18th there?
Yeah, I knew some guys were at 14. Um I saw that on the leaderboard walking up, but um yeah, it was nice to make that get the solo lead and um yeah, hopefully put a good one together tomorrow. There’s going to be 10 to 15 guys kind of all right in the mix tomorrow. How does that affect how aggressive you’re going to be uh mindset wise going into tomorrow’s round?
Yeah, I haven’t really looked at the weather yet. I mean, I guess it just kind of depends on the wind and um whole locations, but uh yeah, I mean, regardless, just be patient and um stick to my game plan once I kind of figure that out tonight.
Will you be watching the leaderboard coming on through the back nine tomorrow?
Uh not early on. Um just because I know you’ll have a lot of opportunities. Um
but uh it just kind of depends on um where I’m at. So we’ll see.
Maybe another bobblehead next year. Thanks for the time.
Yeah, maybe. Thanks. Appreciate it.
It could be four in a row if Davis Thompson were to pull this off. But look out for Maxoma. I think he’s going to be right there. And wouldn’t that be compelling seeing those two guys or even more coming down the stretch with a chance to win tomorrow?