Max Homa's Big Finish Lands Him a Weekend Spot at The Open

Max Homa was four holes away from having a free weekend. Not what he wanted as he stepped to the 15th tee at Royal Birkdale on Friday.

The 33-year-old Cal grad finished with a flourish, making birdie on No. 15 and an eagle on the 17th hole to avoid the cut and secure a place on the weekend at The 154th Open Championship in Southport, England.

Homa, who missed playing this ancient major event a year ago, finished the day with a 1-under 69 and is among a logjam of players tied for 49th place at even par through 36 holes.

He is eight strokes back of second-round leader Lucas Herbert, who shot a 62 and has a two-stroke lead at 8 under. But Homa is still playing and that was the primary objective after carding a 71 in the opening round.

Homa, trying to resurrect a career in which he once was ranked fifth in the world, was at 2 over through 14 holes Friday. Now ranked 74th, his finishing heroics give him a chance to keep playing for two more days.

Fellow Golden Bear Collin Morikawa had a chance to be among the leaders at the tournament's halfway point. But his finish to the day was as difficult as Homa’s was clutch.

The world’s seventh-ranked player, Morikawa began the day tied for 13th place, and would have been higher except for a bogey on No. 18 on Thursday.

The 29-year-old made birdies on Nos. 2, 6 and 9 and was at 5 under par on Day 2 and positioned to finish the day near the top. But he bogeyed Nos. 15 and 16 before a birdie on 17 and a double bogey on the 18th left him with an even-par 70.

At 2 under after two days, Morikawa is part of a crowd sharing 23rd place entering Saturday.

The third Cal alum in the field, 35-year-old Michael Kim, washed out after a second-round 72 that left him at 5 over and tied for 123rd place. Players had to shoot plus-1 or better to remain on the course Saturday.

Kim began Friday with a birdie and he had an eagle-3 on the 14th hole, but his round otherwise included five bogeys.

Lucas, a 30-year-old Australian with just one career PGA Tour victory, had missed the cut the past three years at The Open. If not for a bogey on No. 18, he would have become the first player ever to score below 62 at a major.

He made nine birdies and no bogeys through the first 17 holes Friday after an even-par 70 in the first round.

First-round leader Jackson Suber and Cameron Young share second place at 6 under. Sam Burns, after a bogey-free round highlighted by birdies on his final three holes, posted a 62 and is tied for fourth at minus-5.

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