Max Homa comes from 5 back to win Farmers Open by 2 strokes

SAN DIEGO — Southern California native Max Homa won Saturday’s Farmers Insurance Open by two shots over Keegan Bradley in Torrey Pines by five shots, where Jon Rahm imploded early and missed a shot to win his third straight start ascent to No. 1 in the world.

Homa caught up to Sam Ryder, who was aiming for a straight win, and then held off Bradley and Collin Morikawa for his sixth PGA Tour win and fourth in his home state. He won the Genesis on the Riviera in 2021 and won the Fortinet Championship in Nampa in consecutive years.

Homa finished with a 6-under 66 and finished with 13-under 275. He made a 4-foot birdie putt on No. 18 and pumped his right fist before greeting wife Lacey and young son Cam just off the green .

Bradley also hit a 66 on the South Course. Morikawa shot 69 and finished with 10 under. Ryder shot 75, his worst round of the week, and tied for fourth with Sahith Theegala (70) and Sungjae Im (70) at 9 under.

Rahm hit a 74, his worst round of the week, and tied for seventh place with Jason Day (68), a two-time Farmers winner, with 8. Rahm clinched his first PGA Tour win here in 2017 and then won the US Open in 2021 on the urban course overlooking the Pacific. Rahm won The American Express at PGA West last weekend and the Sentry Tournament of Champions three weekends ago in Kapalua.

Homa, who played ahead of Ryder, Rahm and Tony Finau in the group, took the lead at 12 under by rolling a 16-foot birdie putt on a par-3 16 from a 226-yard tee shot. Ryder, wearing magenta joggers, had a double-bogey 6 on the 15th to drop to 10 under.

Ryder, who had hit his first hole of the tournament, was tied in first place after the opening round in a three-way and held the sole lead after the second and third rounds.

After Rahm had an impressive run up the leaderboard on Friday to claim second alone, two shots behind Ryder, Rahm bogeyed No. 1 and missed a yardie putt by inches at No. 4 before his round on par -4 broke apart #5.

Rahm drove into a fairway bunker and then flew the green into the dense rough. It took him three shots to fight his way out of the rough, and sinking a 9-foot putt had him down in fifth place.

DIVOTS: San Diegan Phil Mickelson, a LIV Tour defector, took a shot at Ryder’s pants as he tweeted, “Tour doesn’t allow shorts but does this week’s leader allow joggers with ankle socks?” Shows 4 inch ankles ? I’m not a fashion guy, never will be, but there are some things I’ll never understand.”