Max Homa in Major Trouble as Genesis 10-shot Rule Gives the Boot

Max Homa missed the cut by three shots at the 2025 Genesis Invitational on Friday. Midway through his second round, it appeared as though the 10-shot rule would take effect and leaving him lurking.

Instead, he could not even call the 10-stroke rule in effect as 36-hole leader Davis Thompson went low and finished at 8-under with Homa sitting 15 shots back at 7-over.

The six-time PGA Tour victor has played in just three cut events in the 2025 season. He withdrew from one (Farmers Insurance Open) and failed to make it past the first two rounds in the other two (WM Phoenix Open and Genesis Invitational). His other two results this year were T26 at The Sentry and T53 at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am.

Max Homa’s decline in results began last year when he had only three top 10s in 22 events. This has caused him to drop to 60th in the Official World Golf Rankings (OWGR), which could get even worse after his finish at Torrey Pines.

This is a big problem for his aspirations to play in the season’s major championships, as his chances depend almost entirely on his place in the world rankings. So far, Homa is only guaranteed a spot in the Masters Tournament thanks to his third-place finish in 2024.

The U.S. Open awards a spot in the field to the top 60 players in the Official World Golf Ranking with a cut-off date of May 19. A second cut will be made on June 9th for those players who make it into the top 60 at the last minute. Max Homa is currently in the cutoff and needs to stay there or even improve his position to guarantee his presence at Oakmont Country Club.

For the Open Championship, the criteria is even more demanding, as the R&A only grants exemptions to the top 50 in the world rankings, with the cut-off in week 21 of the current season (third week of May). This means that Homa has only 14 weeks to improve his ranking by at least 10 places if he wants to play at Royal Portrush this summer.

As is usually the case in golf, winning takes care of everything. A single win on the PGA Tour in the coming weeks would likely qualify him for the U.S. Open regardless of his ranking. Not so with The Open, which would only give him a spot in the field if he wins any of the other three majors or the Players Championship in March.

As for the PGA Championship, Homa is qualified because he was part of the American team for the 2023 Ryder Cup. However, he must remain in the top 100 in the OWGR for this exemption to be valid.

Given Homa’s desperate need to earn world ranking points, March and April look very busy for him. It should come as no surprise if we see him playing virtually every week, unless a big result suits his aspirations to play in the majors.

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