CHARLOTTE, N.C. — There was a time, not long ago, when Max Homa was the most happy-go-lucky guy on the PGA Tour.

The 34-year-old Los Angeles native was rarely without a smile on his face or a creative quip on social media, where he was delivering self-deprecating humor, engaging with fans while critiquing videos of their swings with tongue-in-cheek analysis.

Homa was living the life, successful on the golf course and popular off of it.

His unique form of transparency, letting the outside world inside his — even in challenging times — has always made Homa more real and relatable than most of his fellow competitors.