Max Homa Finds His Groove At Long Last, Makes the Masters Cut

Max Homa will be playing golf on the weekend for the first time since the Pebble Beach Pro-Am at the start of February.

After missing the cut in five consecutive tournaments since then, the 34-year-old Cal alum rediscovered his rhythm at Augusta National on Friday, shooting a 2-under 70 to make the cut at the Masters.

Homa is tied for 27th at even par through 36 holes

All four ex-Cal golfers advanced, with Collin Morikawa in a share of 12th place at minus-3, Michael Kim tied for 17th at 2 under, and Byeong Hun An tied for 37th at plus-1.

Englishman Justin Rose, 44, continues to lead, although his margin has shrunk. Owner of a four-stroke lead after shooting a 65 on Thursday, he is at minus-8 with a one-stroke lead over Bryson DeChambeau and a two-stroke margin over world No. 2 Rory McIlroy, who shot a 66, and Corey Conners.

Top-ranked and defending champion Scottie Scheffler, striving for his third Masters title in four years, is tied for fifth place at 5 under.

Tied for 51st place at plus-2 after Thursday’s opening round, Homa bogeyed his first hole Friday morning to slip to 59th. But he played bogey-free golf the next 17 holes, posting birdies on Nos. 8, 13 and 15. The 13th had to feel great after carding a double-bogey on that hole the day before.

The only two tournaments previously this year at which he played on Saturday and Sunday didn’t have cuts. So this was his first successful Friday performance under pressure.

“The results have been awful,” he told Skratch. But this week, so far, has felt different and Friday was a breakthrough.

“I know I'm only even and whatever, eight back (of Justin Rose), but it does feel good to not beat myself out here,” he said, according to Golfweek.

Just making the cut was a triumph for Homa.

“It was clearly on my mind. I haven't played a weekend in a couple months. It was kind of fun to battle that.”

Homa finished in a tie for third with Morikawa at last year’s Masters and climbed to No. 5 in the world golf rankings. But he has slumped terribly since then, falling to No. 81 on the global list.

“This has been not fun at all. Today and yesterday were similar to how it’s been, make a lot of really good swings in a row and then one really weird one,” he said.

“I was mostly just proud of . . . yesterday I played a brilliant first 12 holes and lost my swing. I feel like I did a better job of playing the game and fixing it when I’m done.”

Morikawa, ranked No. 4 in the world and chasing a title in his third different major, shot an even-par 72 on Thursday but returned to card a 69 that included six birdies, including three over the final six holes. He would be tied for ninth place except for a bogey on No. 18.

Kim, 31, made four birdies over the front nine and recorded pars on each of his final seven holes of the day to score a 1-under 71 for the second day in a row.

An, the 33-year-old South Korean and one-time Golden Bear, was in jeopardy of missing the cut before logging three birdies over the final seven holes to finish with a 71 and easily qualify for the weekend.

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