Max Homa is Golf’s Next Star

The season's first major is in the books. And even though Scottie Scheffler slipped on the green jacket, there might have been a bigger winner this weekend. After being on the grounds at Augusta National Max Homa is golf's next star. I could not believe how popular Max Homa was among the patrons. It became apparent quickly that if he continues to compete at the top of leader boards at major championships Max Homa is golf's next star.

You might read that and think "why is Max Homa popular"? This is a guy who has not competed for major championship before. His best finish is prior to the T-3 finish at Augusta National was a T-10 at last year's final major, the Open Championship. There is not a tremendously successful history with Max winning at the professional level. Six wins on the PGA Tour is nothing to scoff at. But it doesn't seem like the trajectory of a budding star on the tour. Max Homa is does something that very few other PGA Tour or LIV Golf members; shows his personality.

Max Homa is connecting with the next generation of both sports fans and golf fans. For decades the only access fans got to the elite players was buttoned up press-conferences and other settings that could be controlled. Max Homa seems more uncomfortable in those settings that the ones that his fans see him on regularly. I'm talking about podcasts and YouTube. Max Homa makes regular appearances on Pardon My Take, one of the most listened to podcasts in America. He has also done YouTube video's with channels like Bob Does Sports. He seems much more relaced in those settings and it's clear that the fans of the sport are embracing him with open arms.

Even though Max came up short in The Masters this year, his future in the sports seems to be a fan favorite for a long time. Only time will tell if Max can become one of the true elite players in the game, or if his popularity is tied to being a "lovable loser". And I am not calling Max a loser. T-3 at The Masters is quite the accomplishment that only a handful of golfers have ever accomplished. If he does start finding the winner's circle at major's he should keep being accessible to his fans through the "new media" outlets that have clearly garnered him a tremendous following.

Scottie Scheffler is walking away from the Masters with the biggest winners' check ever, but how much Masters prize money did everyone make in the tournament this year?

Scheffler's 11-under four-shot win over Ludvig Aberg gives him $3.6 million of the $20 million prize pool this time around.

Last year, Jon Rahm earned $360,000 less than this year's winner, as golf starts to contend with the massive prize (and pay) pools in LIV Golf.

Both of the top golfers had huge paydays this year. Aberg will take home more than the winners from 2015 and 2016, for example.

Before the 2024 Masters even started, something about "Scottie Scheffler Masters Champion" just felt right.

He's been the best golfer in the world for a while now, and even though Rahm won it last year, you could make a reasonable case that the 2022 winner Scheffler felt more inevitable.

And so it was all about Scottie Scheffler. The most consistent golfer in the world right now did just that over four rounds at Augusta National.

And that led to a flip of last year's Butler Cabin Green Jacket ceremony. Last year Scheffler put it on Rahm. This year Rahm had to put it on Scottie.

Now he can safely get home to his pregnant wife, with a second Green Jacket to wrap his new baby in when they get here.

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