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Watch: Max Homa pulls off incredible shot from up against tree in Genesis playoff

Max Homa

LOS ANGELES – Tony Finau’s first reaction as he walked toward the 10th green and noticed a golf ball resting up against one of Riviera Country Club’s ubiquitous trees was: “I hope it wasn’t my ball.”

It wasn’t. The unlucky bounce on the first playoff hole at the Genesis Invitational actually went to Max Homa, who had finished regulation tied with Finau at 12 under after missing a 3-footer for birdie at the 72nd hole.

“He was very calm for what I thought that we couldn’t hit the green [from beside the tree],” Homa’s caddie, Joe Greiner, said. “He goes, ‘I got it.’ He thought he could actually hit it closer than that and I was thinking just hit the fringe 15 feet away.”

Homa chipped a hooded 50-degree wedge onto the green to 12 feet for a two-putt par to match Finau. He won the event on the next hole with a par after Finau missed the green at the par-3 14th hole and failed to get up and down.

“I hit a good tee ball, I pulled it probably 5 yards left of where Tony was, which is kind of where you wanted to hit it,” Homa said. “What are you going to be mad about when you make a good swing when you’re nervous? Obviously had a weird looking shot but I had a shot, which is cool.”