Max Homa celebrated a significant career milestone as he clinched his first international victory at the Nedbank Golf Challenge in South Africa. The American golfer delivered an impressive performance, carding a 6-under 66 on Sunday to finish the tournament at 19 under, a remarkable four shots ahead of Nicolai Hojgaard and adding to his collection of six PGA TOUR titles.
Homa’s triumph was sealed with a stellar final round that featured six birdies, an eagle, and two bogeys. The turning point came on the 15th and 16th holes, where he secured consecutive birdies, including a spectacular 38-foot putt on the par 3. Reflecting on his victory, Homa expressed joy at closing out the competition strong, stating, “It’s kind of what you dream of, you want to be in the fight, and it was just fun to kind of close it out at the end. It was one of those weeks the ball wanted to go in when it needed to go in.”
Nicolai Hojgaard, Homa’s Ryder Cup adversary, put up a commendable performance with a bogey-free final round of 68, finishing four strokes behind the champion. Meanwhile, Thorbjorn Olesen of Denmark secured the third spot with a 3-under 69, including two bogeys and a double bogey in the final seven holes.
Homa’s victory in South Africa marked his return to competitive play since the Ryder Cup in Italy, where he stood out as the highest scorer for the U.S. team. He expressed gratitude for the opportunity to travel to a new place, meet amazing people, and praised the welcoming fans. Homa’s stellar performance included consistently scoring in the 60s throughout the tournament, emphasizing his dominance on the Gary Player Country Club course.
The Nedbank Golf Challenge, often dubbed “Africa’s Major,” served as the penultimate event of the European golf season before the upcoming DP World Tour Championship in Dubai. Justin Thomas, playing on an invitation like Homa, finished in fourth place at 12 under, expressing pride in his performance on the DP World Tour.
Despite Homa’s impressive lead, Thomas acknowledged the quality of his own game, stating, “It was a nice day. I would’ve liked if Max hadn’t run away so much (and) I had a little bit more of a chance.” Two-time defending champion Tommy Fleetwood concluded the tournament at 7 under in a tie for 12th place after an even-par 72 on Sunday.
Frenchman Matthieu Pavon, initially trailing Homa by one shot, experienced a dramatic collapse in the final round, shooting a 6-over 78 with six bogeys and a double bogey. Dan Bradbury of England secured fifth place with a commendable performance, finishing at 11 under.