LA JOLLA, Calif. – Much has been made of Max Homa’s remarkable ascent into golf’s elite. The career arc boggles the mind on the surface. The secret might lie in one word.

Hope.

“I hope that I haven’t seen my best day yet, my favorite day yet,” Homa said after winning his sixth PGA TOUR title Saturday at the Farmers Insurance Open, his fourth in his home state of California. “I’m sure there will be many other great, great days. Today feels like the best day ever. I hope that tomorrow feels better.

“You’re just hopeful. I think all of us kind of have that. You just hope for the best and stay the course.”

Homa carded a final-round, 6-under 66 at Torrey Pines’ South Course, at a tournament he attended as a high schooler in southern California, to rally from five back and win the Farmers Insurance Open by two strokes over Keegan Bradley. Homa moves to No. 2 on the FedExCup and will crack the top 15 in the world for the first time in his career.

This is the same person who lost his PGA TOUR card twice as a young pro, who played a full season in 2017 without a top-70 finish, who needed four straight closing birdies in the final round of the 2018 Korn Ferry Tour Regular Season finale to keep his job. The constant through all the variables: hope.