"You'd need some extra special help" - Patrick Cantlay on breaking Max Homa's 477-yard drive record
Patrick Cantlay and Max Homa will compete this weekend at the BMW Championship, the second round of the FedEx Cup Playoffs. While there are multiple facets to the sport of golf, driving is a big one. It usually starts a hole, and doing it well and sending it far onto the fairway usually sets up golfers for birdie or better.
The official record on tour is held by Homa, who improbably shot a golf ball 477 yards. At a press conference ahead of the BMW, Cantlay was asked if he would ever be able to challenge or break Homa's record.
"He must have hit a cart path or something, 477. I'm not sure. I think to hit it past 477, you'd need some extra special help," he said.
Cantlay is a little skeptical of how Homa was even able to hit a ball that far, but he's not skeptical of his own ability to do so. The golfer believes he'd have to have some sort of assistance in getting the ball to travel that distance.
Patrick Cantlay opens up on his performance this year
Despite any ups and downs anyone might have faced this year, all golfers still in the BMW Championship this week have survived to this point. Last week, several golfers saw their seasons end. The week before at the Wyndham Championship was the same. Patrick Cantlay is still playing, which means he's done enough to stay alive.
Cantlay is currently ranked ninth out of 50 golfers in the field, so he's done rather well. Despite that, he's not overly proud of his work so far, he said in his aforementioned press conference.
"I don't really grade myself. I feel like this year has been average, but there's a couple events left, and a lot of times a golf season can turn around in a week or two. So I've been working really hard and my game is trending in the right direction."
Cantlay did acknowledge that this course plays to his strengths and he feels confident. When asked why his season is average, he simply cited his lack of victories in 2024:
"I would say I haven't won, which I think is a standard that a lot of the guys out here hold themselves to. I do, definitely. I've had maybe not the most consistent year from my perspective. I've had some ups and downs."
Patrick Cantlay finished by conceding that he did have plenty of good weeks, and his last few months have been encouraging. He also said that one week or two can change things in a moment, so he might end with a quality year and perhaps a win or two.