LOS ANGELES (AP) - Winning at Riviera was always a dream for Max Homa since he first attended the PGA Tour event as a toddler. He never could have scripted a finish like Sunday at the Genesis Invitational.
Homa missed a 3-foot birdie putt on the 18th hole for the win. On the first playoff hole, he appeared to have no chance when his tee shot settled inches from a tree. He somehow escaped to extend the playoff, and won it on the next hole when hard-luck Tony Finau failed to save par from a bunker on the par-3 14th.
As much of a heartbreak as it was for Finau - his 10th runner-up finish worldwide since his lone victory in the Puerto Rico Open five years ago - the emotion was too much for Homa.
He grew up 30 miles away in Valencia. He grew up idolizing Tiger Woods, the tournament host who presented him the trophy. He nearly threw it away with a 3-foot putt. And he walked off with his second PGA Tour victory.
Homa not only closed with a 5-under 66, he played the final 26 holes without a bogey.
This looked to be a storybook finish for Homa when Sam Burns, who had led from the opening round, ran into a string of bogeys on the back nine.
It came down to Homa and Finau, who saved par on the 18th for a 64, the low round of the weekend. Homa made a 6-foot birdie putt on the par-5 17th to tie for the lead, and he stuffed his approach on the 18th for what looked to be a sure birdie. And then he missed.
Worse yet was his tee shot on the 10th. Homa managed to hood a wedge and scoot it up the slope to the edge of the green, and with a front left pin - typically the Saturday position, changed this year because of the wind - it left him 12 feet away. He narrowly missed. Finau, in great position, chipped to 7 feet and with his shadow over the cup, hit it too weakly.
The victory allowed Homa to crack the top 50 in the world for the first time, making him eligible for the World Golf Championship next week and get him back to the Masters.
Burns closed with a 69 and missed the playoff by one shot.
Homa and Finau finished at 12-under 272 on a Riviera course that was fast, firm and bouncy all week, and was never more difficult than Saturday in 35 mph that led to play being halted.
KORN FERRY TOUR
LAKEWOOD RANCH, Fla. (AP) - Hayden Buckley won the LECOM Suncoast Classic for his first Korn Ferry Tour title, beating Dawson Armstrong and Taylor Montgomery with a 10-foot birdie putt on the first hole of a playoff.
The last alternate to get in the field Thursday, Buckley closed with a 1-under 70 to match Armstrong and Montgomery at 13-under 271 at Lakewood National in the tour’s first event since early October.
The 24-year-old former Missouri player earned $108,000 and jumped from 85th to 27th in the points race for 25 PGA Tour cards.
Armtstrong and Montgomery each shot 67. Armstrong bogeyed the 18th in regulation.
Billy Kennerly was a stroke out of the playoff after a 71. He played the last four holes in 4 over, closing double bogey-bogey.
Dan McCarthy (68) and Brent Grant (70) tied for fifth at 11 under.
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