At the WM Phoenix Open’s 16th hole, golfers wearing jerseys from different sports have become a familiar sight over the years. Several golfers paid tribute to the late Kobe Bryant in 2020. Jon Rahm used to wear an Arizona State jersey to show his support for his alma mater.
Max Homa added to the tradition on Friday. It was the consequence of a wager this time.
Homa took over JT Poston’s Twitter account for a day after the Los Angeles Dodgers defeated the Atlanta Braves in the 2020 National League Championship Series. Last year, the two teams met again at the same stage, prompting Homa and Poston to make another wager.
Because the Braves had won Round 2, Homa was strolling down the 16th fairway on Friday afternoon, wearing a white Braves shirt with “Poston” on the back.
Homa laughed as he remarked, “No anger towards the Braves.” “Now I have a grudge towards JT Poston.”
Despite the fact that it was four months after the NLCS ended, the lifelong friends chose the Phoenix Open as the venue for their wager due to its well-known audiences.
“This is the best crowd we’ve ever gotten,” Homa added. “The nicest amphitheater we have is 16, so that’s the ideal place to do it.”
Homa has watched the amount of support he receives from his fans rise over time. He’s established a considerable Twitter following with a unique online persona that’s most notably defined by his caustic critiques of amateur golfers who send him videos of their swings.
Because of the tournament’s fan-centric nature, its popularity is especially strong in Phoenix.
“It makes each day fly by and every hole thrilling when people are applauding for you and giving you encouragement,” Homa, who tied for fifth at 8 under, said.
However, by the 16th hole, the crowd was overwhelmingly in favor of Poston. Fans in the greenside stands did the Braves’ iconic Tomahawk chop when Homa finished his par in a Braves jersey.
“I had to put on that hideous shirt, and everyone did the chop, it was horrible,” Homa remarked.
After that, he signed the jersey and scrawled “Go Dodgers” on it before tossing it into the stands, leaving a one-of-a-kind souvenir for one fan.
Homa stopped on his approach to the 17th hole and whispered something to Poston that he “cannot repeat.” This isn’t the last time the two will speak this week.
On the leaderboard, they’re separated by only one shot, so they’ll be put together on Saturday.
