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Max Homa runs afoul of fantasy golf participants on Twitter, but it turns into a charitable positive

July 26, 2019
World Golf Championship-FedEx St Jude Invitational - Preview Day 3

Sam Greenwood

MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Twitter can take on a nasty tone. Max Homa, one of the more active PGA Tour players on the medium, is of course no stranger to that.

After Homa’s 74 in the opening round of the World Golf Campionships-FedEx St. Jude Invitational, the social-media mob reared its dark side when some fantasy golf participants were overly critical of the 28-year-old’s play on Thursday. Homa shot back, saying he couldn’t emphasize enough how little he cared about messing up his followers’ fantasy golf lineups.

“I was just pooping on people telling me I have to play better for their fantasy lineup,” Homa said a day later at TPC Southwind. “They need to draft better. Don’t pick me. It’s not that hard. I don’t know these people. I hope you make money off me, but if you don’t make money off me and you lose, it’s not my fault, it’s yours. Pick a better person. Pick Rory [McIlroy].”

But there was a silver lining to all of it when one follower suggested those being critical of Homa’s play donate to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, the beneficiary of this week’s tournament.

Homa had already agreed to kick in $200 for every birdie that he made this week and throughout the upcoming FedEx Cup Playoffs. After his second round, he said he'd throw in $500 for every eagle he makes this week, too.

“Reading comprehension isn’t the best skill some people have on Twitter and maybe I don’t write well enough,” said Homa, who had four birdies during a 73 on Friday. “I don’t dislike fantasy sports—I play fantasy football. It was nice to see through the discussion people’s good colors and start raising some money for a good cause.

“Obviously it spun into a good thing, so I'm really happy that happened and proud of all the people that wanted to do that. I didn't ask anybody. They just volunteered. That was pretty awesome.”

Indeed.