Cal Golf: Max Homa Advances, Collin Morikawa Misses the Cut at the Scottish Open

Max Homa settled down over the back nine on and made it to the weekend but fellow Cal alum Collin Morikawa failed to make the cut Friday at the Genesis Scottish Open.

In windy conditions, Homa shot a 1-over 71 for the second straight day at The Renaissance Club at North Berwick, Scotland to stay above the cut line. He is tied for 38th place at 2 over, nine strokes back of leader Cameron Tringale.

The 29-year-old overcame bogeys on his first two holes of the day and made par on the final six holes to advance.

Cool. I looked exactly as dumb as I felt https://t.co/ZGvYnuYboi
— max homa (@Maxhoma) July 8, 2022

The world’s No. 4 player, Morikawa shot a 4-over 74 in a round that began with three birdies over his first six holes but also included a double-bogey 6 on the par-4 fourth hole and four bogeys on the back nine.

Morikawa, 25, who was coming off a fifth-place finish last month at the U.S. Open, has missed the cut in two of his past three events. Next week he will defend his championship in The 150th Open on the Old Course at St. Andrews.

Morikawa wasn’t the only prominent player sidelined Friday. World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler, whose four victories this season include the Masters, shot a 73 and missed the cut after finishing two days at plus-5.

It was worse still for No 5 Justin Thomas, a 15-time winner on the PGA tour, who shot a 77 on Friday that included eight bogeys and a double-bogey. He exited after carding 10 over for two days.

Tringale, who shot a bogey-free 61 in the opening round, came back down to earth on Friday. Searching for his first win as a professional, the 34-year-old American made birdies on two of his first three holes before a six-hole stretch where posted five bogeys.

The effect of wind was felt everywhere Friday, even on the greens, Tringale said.

"It's so tough to judge how much the wind is going to hurt, and then you get a putt that's where the wind is going sideways," Tringale said. "It might be a ball, two, a cup, even as close as 7, 8 feet. It's really tricky."

But he finished the round at 72 and has a three-stroke lead over Doug Ghim and Gary Woodland, who share second-place at 4 under.

Xander Schauffele had the day’s best round, assembling a 5-under 65 after making five birdies and an eagle. He’s a at 3 under and part of a four-way crowd tied for fourth.

Jordan Smith, a 29-year-old from Bath, England, also had a pretty good day. His used a 6 iron to ace the par-3 17th hole, earning himself and caddie Sam Matton each free cars. Smith, who began the day with three bogeys over his first four holes, finished the round at 69 and is tied for fourth in the group with Schauffele.

“We've been chatting about it during the week, saying that pin over there could be a good chance for a hole in one,” Smith said of his conversations with Matton. “The wind was howling off the right. Anything right of the pin would catch the slope and lucky enough that it did. Even though we couldn't see it, the crowd went nuts.”

Cover photo of Collin Morikawa by Aaron Doster, USA Today

Follow Jeff Faraudo of Cal Sports Report on Twitter: @jefffaraudo