Why golf is more difficult than bowling, according to Max Homa

According to an ESPN story published just over a decade ago, golf was ranked the 51st-most difficult sport out of 60 that were judged. 

It wasn’t 52nd, cheerleading. It wasn’t 60th, fishing. It wasn’t 57th, bowling. 

Max Homa’s sport wasn’t first. (Boxing was.) 

It also wasn’t bowling. 

“Thankful golf beat out bowling,” he tweeted on Friday.

Hold my bowling ball, Sean Rash said. The pro bowler’s sport wasn’t first, either. It also wasn’t golf. 

“I will challenge you to Bowling vs Golf,” Rash responded, tagging golfers Mark Calcavecchia and Woody Austin (who has competed in a pro bowling event) and the Professional Bowlers Association.

And the debate was on, all the way to an hour before Homa was to tee off on Saturday during the third round of the RBC Heritage. He was six shots out of the lead. Golf’s honor was bigger. 

“If it gets too windy when ur bowling u just turn off the air conditioning,” Homa responded. 

Cold. 

“At least we never need help finding our balls,” Rash said. 

Fire. 

News

“Thank u for proving that golf is more difficult,” Homa tweeted. 

Rash then described bowling’s “invisible playing field.”

“Each center playing surface is different,” he explained. “Topography on each lane. Approaches being slick or tacky You see the obstacles: Bunker, Trees, Water. In Bowling, the ball is our guide. Where in golf, your told where to hit it.”

Homa then described golf’s playing field. 

“We battle against Mother Nature. Ever heard of her?”

As his tee time approached, Homa tweeted out a bowling video and a video of Tiger Woods’ chip-in on the 16th hole at the 2005 Masters. He said, “K I guess we’re doing this (I can’t believe we’re doing this). What’s more difficult?; golf vs. bowling edition. Here’s a bowling highlight reel and ONE (1) golf highlight.”

Homa then worked his way over to the first tee at Harbour Town Golf Links to watch his ball roll for the next few hours.