CHARLOTTE, N.C.: He was among the best as an amateur, winning a prestigious national title and moving onto the PGA Tour. While he never thought it was going to be easy, making it tougher was seeing so many peers from his college days collecting trophies as he wondered when, if ever, his turn would come.

So there was great satisfaction, and a small measure of relief, when former NCAA champion Max Homa won at Quail Hollow.