COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Max Homa stood out more than usual Monday in a U.S. Open qualifier filled with PGA Tour players. He was the only one carrying his own bag.
Homa didn't have a caddie and didn't feel like talking about it, regardless of how much attention it was getting on social media.
He and his caddie of two months, Bill Harke, are no longer together, according to a person informed of the split who said only that Harke “lost his job.” The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because word of the separation needed to come from Homa. And Homa didn't offer much insight.
“I'm much rather talk about the golf instead of all the questions about the caddie,” Homa said. “I'm good. Just hoofed it 36.”
As for the golf?
“It's going to probably be heartbreaking, but it's all right,” Homa said. “I haven’t carried my bag 36 holes in a while so I'm a little tired.”
He wound up hoofing it 38 holes. Homa's three-putt for par on his 36th hole at Kinsale put him in a five-man playoff for the final spot to get to the U.S. Open. Cameron Young won it with a 12-foot birdie. Homa then lost a playoff for an alternate spot on the next hole.
When asked about his attitude, Homa dropped one clue about the split.
“It seems to be better than when someone is standing next to me for some reason,” he said. “I might need to walk by myself more. Maybe I just looked at it as a nice, peaceful walk. Probably got to battle some demons and have no one to lean on. Maybe that helps a little bit. There's no one ... everything is me. The battle helped that a little bit."
The qualifier at Kinsale offered six spots to the U.S. Open at Oakmont next week. Homa was around the bubble most of the day. He left a chip in the rough on his ninth hole of the second round and made double bogey, followed that with a bogey and then responded with two straight birdies.
He looked to be safe with a second shot into 25 feet on the par-5 ninth hole, his last one. But the uphill putt turned around the hole and came back some 6 feet, and he three-putted for par to finish at 5-under 139.
Homa didn't imagine being in this position a year ago when he was No. 10 in the world. But he has changed equipment and changed coaches. He split with his caddie of six years right before the Masters. And then he had no caddie at all.
Homa said he never felt the fatigue because he was around the cutoff line all day, pushing forward. After he three-putted his final hole was when it started to hit him.
He said not having anyone to consult over a shot led him to be a little more conservative, not a bad tactic on a course he doesn't know all too well.
Asked one last time about the caddie situation, Homa whispered, “I wanted to carry for 36 holes. Everyone is going to ask me that.”
Homa is not entirely out of the U.S. Open. He is playing the Canadian Open this week, though he likely would have to win to get into the top 60 and qualify.
AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf
Max Homa stops to sign an autograph after his U.S. Open qualifier carrying his own bag after a split with his caddie, on Monday, June 2, 2025, in Columbus, Ohio. (AP Photo/Doug Ferguson)
Max Homa lines up his putt on the 13th green during the second round of the Memorial golf tournament, Friday, May 30, 2025, in Dublin, Ohio. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Shai Gilgeous-Alexander isn't scoring the way he usually does, but the Oklahoma City Thunder are still winning the way they normally do.
Gilgeous-Alexander, the reigning NBA MVP, averaged 31.1 points during the regular season. In the Western Conference semifinals against the Los Angeles Lakers, he is averaging 20 points and taking only 14 shots per game.
Oklahoma City has still won the first two games by an average of 18 points. Gilgeous-Alexander and Chet Holmgren each scored 22 points, and the defending champion Thunder beat the Lakers 125-107 on Thursday night.
Ajay Mitchell, starting in place of injured Jalen Williams, is averaging 19 points on 50% shooting in the series for Oklahoma City.
“I think the coaching staff does a good job at just getting all of us ready,” said Mitchell, a second-year guard. "And we have a lot of competitors. Like, everyone’s a competitor on our team. So every time the lights are bright, everyone’s ready to go.”
Holmgren is the leading scorer for the Thunder in the best-of-seven series with 23 points per game. The 2026 All-Star also is averaging 10.5 rebounds and 2.5 blocks.
Jared McCain, a midseason acquisition from the Philadelphia 76ers, barely played in the first round against Phoenix but has averaged 15 points and made 8 of 10 3-pointers in the series.
“He goes in there, stays in character, stays aggressive," Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said. "He’s going to shoot the next shot. He makes the right plays, plays inside the team. He competes defensively, has had good defensive possessions for us. And he was huge tonight. You need that in a playoff series.”
The Lakers again were without scoring champion Luka Doncic, who is out indefinitely with a strained left hamstring. They also were missing forward Jarred Vanderbilt, the reserve forward who dislocated the pinkie on his right hand during the second quarter of Game 1. The Lakers had three players finish with five fouls, limiting their aggressiveness late in the game.
Los Angeles guard Austin Reaves, who struggled with his shot in Game 1, scored 31 points on 10-for-16 shooting in Game 2. LeBron James, coming off a 27-point effort in Game 1, followed that up with 23.
With the Lakers up 63-61 early in the third quarter, Gilgeous-Alexander got tied up with Reaves and was called for his fourth foul. Upon review, it was upgraded to a flagrant 1 for Gilgeous-Alexander's follow through. Oklahoma City's Alex Caruso was called for a technical foul as the situation was being sorted out.
Gilgeous-Alexander left the game with the Lakers up 65-61, but the Thunder rallied and took control without him. On a fast break, Holmgren found a trailing Jaylin Williams, who hit a 3-pointer and was fouled. His free throw put the Thunder up 85-74.
The Thunder outscored the Lakers 32-15 while Gilgeous-Alexander was out in the third quarter to take a 93-80 lead into the fourth.
“It was amazing," Gilgeous-Alexander said. “They strung together stops, they’re playing the right way offensively and things are going their way. Full confidence in those guys. They know how to win basketball games. And we've proven that. They’ve proven that no matter who’s on the floor, they know how to get the job done. And they just did it again tonight."
The Lakers cut Oklahoma City's lead to five in the fourth quarter before the Thunder pulled away again.
Los Angeles will host Game 3 on Saturday.
“We just stuck with it,” Holmgren said. “It’s the game of basketball. It’s not always going to go your way. It’s about how you respond. And this team has proven many times that we know how to respond. And we did so tonight.”
This story has been corrected to show that Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is averaging 20, not 19, points per game against the Lakers.
AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA
Oklahoma City Thunder's Chet Holmgren (7) shoots over Los Angeles Lakers' Austin Reaves (15) in the second half of Game 2 in a second-round NBA basketball playoffs series Thursday, May 7, 2026, in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Nate Billings)
Oklahoma City Thunder guard Ajay Mitchell, front, works for a shot as Los Angeles Lakers' Austin Reaves, rear, defends in the second half of Game 2 in a second-round NBA basketball playoffs series Thursday, May 7, 2026, in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Nate Billings)
Los Angeles Lakers' LeBron James stands on the court in the second half of Game 2 in a second-round NBA basketball playoffs series against the Oklahoma City Thunder Thursday, May 7, 2026, in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Nate Billings)
Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) drives to the basket past Los Angeles Lakers' Deandre Ayton (5) and LeBron James, rear, in the second half of Game 2 in a second-round NBA basketball playoffs series Thursday, May 7, 2026, in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Nate Billings)
Oklahoma City Thunder center Chet Holmgren (7) works to the basket against Los Angeles Lakers forward Rui Hachimura (28) in the second half of Game 2 in a second-round NBA basketball playoffs series Thursday, May 7, 2026, in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Nate Billings)
