Photo by Tracy Wilcox/PGA TOUR via Getty Images
Max Homa delivered an incredible hole-out on Sunday, but U.S. Assistant Captain Kevin Kisner refused to honor his bet.
Max Homa opened his Presidents Cup singles match against Mackenzie Hughes with a bang, holing out for eagle from 102 yards out on the par-4 1st. He quickly took a 1 up lead.
Homa wasted no time grabbing momentum in the anchor match. However, it does not seem that the golf world will see his and assistant captain Kevin Kisner’s bet come to fruition.
It all started at the Solheim Cup when Kisner responded to Homa on X that if he “hooped one,” he would take his shirt off at Royal Montreal this week. In the days leading up to the Presidents Cup, this wager came up again and Kisner still went along with it.
Homa delivered on his side of the deal when he made that incredible shot on the first hole. He was all business and did not even celebrate.
Yet, the crowd and fans did not forget about this wager, including NBC on-course reporter Smylie Kaufman, who caught up with Kisner after Homa’s big moment.
“Motivation is an amazing thing, and I think Max really took it to heart,” Kisner said to Kaufman.
“Been with him for two matches, and he doesn’t make one, and I go see him off the first tee, and he hoops it. I think he has been yelling at every captain he’s seen since because I haven’t seen him, saying, ‘Where’s Kiz?’ So I’m hiding over here on the back nine.”
Maybe Kisner will go “tarps off” at the after-party.
Nevertheless, Kisner likely thought he would get out of this bet, given that Homa and Brian Harman went 0-2-0 in their two foursome matches. But Homa came up clutch on Sunday, and now the golfing world awaits to see if Kisner will pay his dues.
Homa’s game has not been terrible in the two matches, though. The 33-year-old has gained 2.98 strokes approaching the green and 3.64 strokes from tee to green, per DataGolf.
U.S. Captain Jim Furyk likely kept these two together because of their success in Rome at the 2023 Ryder Cup. They went 2-1-0 together.
The duo won the only Saturday morning foursomes match, 4 & 2, over Shane Lowry and Sepp Straka, and followed that up with an afternoon win, 2 & 1, over Tommy Fleetwood and Nicolai Højgaard.
Unfortunately, their spark died in Rome. It did not follow them to Canada.
Regardless, Homa is off to a hot start in his singles match as he looks to get at least one point on the board for Team USA. He is also on the hunt for Kisner, who is avoiding that meet-up at all costs.
Savannah Leigh Richardson is a golf staff writer for SB Nation’s Playing Through. For more golf coverage, follow us @_PlayingThrough on all major social platforms. You can also follow her on Twitter @SportsGirlSL and Instagram @golf_girl_sl.
