IVINS, Utah – Talk about looking on the bright side of life: Max Homa believes playing through pain Friday at the Bank of Utah Championship actually helped his game en route to a bogey-free, 5-under 66 and a spot near the top of the leaderboard.

“I just get in my own way so much; it honestly helps to get hurt at times because I don't remember thinking about my golf swing,” said Homa, who sits at 6-under through two rounds at Black Desert Resort. “I don't remember thinking about really anything much – just get it through. Get it to the house. If I hit a bad shot but it was in play, I was happy with it.”

Homa, who started his round on No. 10 tee Friday, noted he has a “pretty good-sized bone spur” on the top of his right ankle, and he first felt pain while walking down a short incline on No. 12.

He said he could feel the ankle swelling and becoming “very, very tender,” and he requested medical assistance while on his sixth hole on the day, where he was administered KT Tape and anti-inflammatory medicine.

“I've had it for a little while,” Homa said of the bone spur. “I had planned on getting it taken out when we have a little bit of time off, so it was just kind of ironic. It almost never gets inflamed, but I think this place is pretty hard to walk.”

The six-time PGA TOUR winner, currently ranked 100th in the FedExCup Fall, said he only momentarily considered withdrawing due to the pain: “I just can't. I don't want to do that. I love being here. I really like how my golf game feels. It's my last event of the year, and it's just annoying to walk, so I can deal with that.”

Homa also credits his wife Lacey for his motivation to fight through the adversity, adding, “I kept thinking about my wife – she had a horrendous birth with our first son and she had major, major surgery, and there is just no way I could complain about a hurt ankle while I walked. That one really – she gets me through a lot.”

The 34-year-old Californian’s struggles have been well documented during what has become a more than two-year win drought. Since his two victories in the 2022-23 season, Homa has been searching for a return to form. He posted three top-10 finishes in 2024 but just one in 2025 – a T5 at the John Deere Classic in July. Homa has finished inside the top 20 twice in the FedExCup Fall – a T19 at the Procore Championship and T18 at Sanderson Farms – and looks to end his season on a high.

“It's just nice to feel good about the game,” Homa said Friday, noting Utah will be his last start in 2025. “It's been trending for sure the last couple months. Came in here with a lot of confidence in what I was doing. You know, had it going yesterday and just punted that, so it was nice to come out today and play the way I knew I could. ... I just want to keep improving for myself.”