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USA Today
2 days ago
- General
- USA Today
Golfer Max Homa mysteriously carries own clubs at U.S. Open qualifier
Golfer Max Homa mysteriously carries own clubs at U.S. Open qualifier Show Caption Hide Caption John Smoltz favors McIlroy, Scheffler over LIV Ahead of the American Century celebrity golf tournament, baseball hall of famer John Smoltz breaks down the best celebrity golfers and why he favors the PGA over LIV. Golfer Max Homa took an unusual step on Monday in an effort to turn his season around. After falling out of the top 60 in the Official World Golf Rankings, the six-time winner on the PGA Tour had to play his way into the upcoming U.S. Open by taking part in a 36-hole final qualifying tournament. And do it while carrying his own bag. After shooting a 77 in the final round of the Memorial Tournament last weekend, Homa showed up at Kinsale Fitness Club in Columbus, Ohio, without a caddie in his bid to grab one of the six available spots. Homa did not go into detail when asked why he was flying solo at the qualifier. "It seems to be better when someone is not standing next to me, for some reason," Homa said. "So I might just need to walk by myself more." The novel approach nearly paid off despite Homa making bogey on the final two holes to fall into a playoff for the final spot. Fellow Tour pro Cameron Young edged out Homa, Rickie Fowler and two others to secure a place in the U.S. Open, which will be contested at Oakmont Country Club outside Pittsburgh in two weeks. Homa began the year comfortably inside the top 60 in the rankings, which would have automatically qualified him for the U.S. Open. However, after a string of missed cuts he and long-time caddie Joe Greiner parted ways before the Masters. However, when he arrived at Monday's qualifying event, new caddie Bill Harke was nowhere to be found. And Homa wasn't in any mood to answer questions about it after his latest meltdown. "I haven't carried my bag 36 holes in a while, so a little tired," Homa said. He will have one more opportunity to qualify for the U.S. Open − at this week's RBC Canadian Open. Though he'll likely have to win the tournament to do so.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
PGA Tour Makes Major Rickie Fowler Announcement This Weekend
PGA Tour Makes Major Rickie Fowler Announcement This Weekend originally appeared on Athlon Sports. Rickie Fowler just made a massive statement at the Memorial Tournament. With a tie for 7th place and a 1-under score (69-73), Fowler not only secured his best finish of the season but also earned a coveted spot in the 153rd Open Championship at Royal Portrush. Before this weekend, he hadn't cracked the top 10 in 2025 and had dropped outside the top 100 in the Official World Golf Rankings. But thanks to a sponsor's invite and a strong showing, Fowler made the most of the opportunity. Advertisement The big announcement came Sunday, Fowler officially punched his ticket to The Open Championship. His top-10 finish at Muirfield Village made him the highest finisher not already exempt, sealing his spot in the prestigious tournament. Dublin, Ohio, USA; Rickie Fowler watches his shot from the first tee during the final round of the Memorial Tournament presented by Workday golf Doster-Imagn Images 'This week still could have been a lot better, but definite positive is going over to Portrush,' Fowler shared per Newsweek. 'That's one I've wanted on the schedule… links golf's my favorite.' What makes this moment even more special? The Fowlers are going to Royal Portrush together! Rickie swapped his usual Sunday orange for a yellow outfit to support the Play Yellow for Kids initiative started by Jack and Barbara Nicklaus. After the round, he celebrated with his family, visibly thrilled about the opportunity ahead. While this is a huge win, Fowler's work isn't done yet. He now faces a 36-hole U.S. Open qualifier on Monday. But with three top-16 finishes in his last four starts, the momentum is on his side. Advertisement The PGA Tour's announcement of Fowler's qualification to The Open marks a turning point. After a tough 2024, Rickie's resurgence is real, and the fans couldn't be more excited to see him back in the major spotlight. Related: Ben Griffin's Future Wife Dana Myeroff Sends Clear Message on PGA Tour Golfer This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 2, 2025, where it first appeared.
Newsweek
3 days ago
- Sport
- Newsweek
Rickie Fowler Regains Form at Memorial to Shockingly Earn Major Berth
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Before this week's Memorial Tournament in Dublin, Ohio, Rickie Fowler had not yet posted a top 10 finish in 2025. His form had been horrible, as evidenced by him dropping outside of the top 100 in the Official World Golf Rankings (OWGR). Yet, tournament organizers extended a sponsor's invite to Fowler, who has been one of the more popular players on the PGA Tour for years. Fowler has long supported the Memorial too, as he has played in every edition since 2010. He has two runner-up finishes at Muirfield Village as well, which explains why he received the nod to play this year. Fowler then took full advantage of the opportunity. Rickie Fowler walks off the fifth tee during the final round of the Memorial Tournament presented by Workday at Muirfield Village Golf Club. Rickie Fowler walks off the fifth tee during the final round of the Memorial Tournament presented by Workday at Muirfield Village Golf Club./Not only did the former Oklahoma State Cowboy tie for seventh — his best result since the ZOZO Championship in Japan last October — but Fowler also earned a spot in this year's Open Championship, which returns to Royal Portrush in Northern Ireland. "This week still could have been a lot better, but definite positive is going over to Portrush," Fowler said after his 1-over 73 on Sunday. "That's one I've wanted on the schedule. I had a great time when we were there last and had a decent showing as well. So links golf's my favorite, Portrush is a great spot, so excited for that opportunity." The Memorial Tournament is a part of The Open Qualifying Series, a set of worldwide professional events where the R&A invites the top finisher who is not otherwise exempt. Fowler, of course, did not have a spot in this year's Open before Sunday. When he began his final round at 2-under par, every player above him on the leaderboard at Muirfield Village had a tee time for The Open. With his top 10 finish at @MemorialGolf, @RickieFowler qualifies for @TheOpen and celebrates with his family after his final round. — Todd Lewis (@ToddLewisGC) June 1, 2025 Therefore, this lone spot up for grabs was his to lose. Any score around even par would likely punch his ticket to Northern Ireland, especially since the difficulty of Muirfield Village compares to that of a major championship. But Brandt Snedeker, the 430th ranked player in the world, made Muirfield Village look easy on Sunday. He posted a 7-under 65, which included an eye-opening nine birdies. And, like Fowler, Snedeker was not exempt into this year's Open at Royal Portrush too. "I played the last one there when Shane [Lowry] won in [2019], and it's such a cool venue and such a great golf course," said Snedeker, who hoped his low round would get him into The Open. "I really want to make that one bad, so it would be fun to get back over there." He almost did. After playing his first 16 holes in even par, Fowler stood on the 17th tee at 2-under for the championship. He needed a pair of pars to earn a spot in The Open, a tall task since the 17th and 18th holes at Muirfield Village are no slouch. Fowler missed the 17th fairway and ultimately made a bogey. He then walked to the 18th hole tied with Snedeker at 1-under with an Open spot on the line. But because Fowler's OWGR ranking is higher than Snedeker's, Fowler would get the invite in the event of a tie. So, he needed to par Muirfield Village's 18th. A bogey or worse would give it to Snedeker. "I saw Brandt [Snedeker] played well today. It's not easy out there, so [that's a] darn good round he put together. But, no, I didn't know exactly," Fowler said when he asked if he was aware of the drama. "Just trying to get it into the clubhouse with as least amount of shots possible." Fowler found the 18th fairway and then air-mailed the green with his second shot, giving himself a delicate up-and-down for par. But he then produced one of his best shots of the day, nestling his third shot to within tap-in range to secure a spot in The Open — good thing he was not aware of the stakes. And now, Fowler will stay in Columbus on Sunday night to play in Monday's U.S. Open qualifier at Kinsale Golf and Fitness Club. "Starting to finally see some good things and that work start to pay off," Fowler said. "I'm excited for tournaments coming up — first and foremost tomorrow — and see if we can go play some solid golf and go get ourselves a tee time at Oakmont and go from there." More Golf: Jordan Spieth Inches from Taking Fan's Head Off at Memorial, Makes Insane Par
Newsweek
6 days ago
- Sport
- Newsweek
Max Homa Shares Stunning Mindset on US Open amid Memorial Success
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Going into last year's U.S. Open at Pinehurst No. 2, Max Homa was ranked 10th in the Official World Golf Rankings (OWGR). But he is nowhere close to being a top 10 player now, thanks to a year long slump that has seen him plummet out of major championship conversation. Homa arrived at this week's Memorial Tournament as the 87th ranked player in the OWGR — a low point that he has not reached since the fall of 2020. He was 98th in the world after missing the cut at The Masters that year, held in November due to COVID-19. But he was never a top player — nor a household name — before then. He struggled to gain traction as a pro in his years after college, vacillating between the PGA and Korn Ferry Tours throughout the 2010s. But he finally found his groove in the summer of 2020, peaking at 68th in the world after tying for third at the 3M Open. Max Homa plays a shot from the 15th tee during the first round of the Memorial Tournament presented by Workday at Muirfield Village Golf Club in Dublin, Ohio. Max Homa plays a shot from the 15th tee during the first round of the Memorial Tournament presented by Workday at Muirfield Village Golf Club in Dublin, Ohio./He then qualified for his first U.S. Open, held at Winged Foot that September, thanks to his top-75 ranking in the OWGR. But Homa missed the cut that week. Fast forward to 2025, and Homa finds himself on the outside looking in, similar to where he was in early 2020. Because of his poor form over the past 12 months, Homa's only path into this year's U.S. Open at Oakmont is now via final qualifying. He will jockey for a spot at Kinsale Golf & Fitness Club on Monday in Columbus, the day after the final round of this week's Memorial Tournament concludes. Final qualifying, known as 'Golf's Longest Day,' is a marathon: 36-hole stroke play events held across 10 venues across the country. Over 900 players, including Homa, will vie for a handful spots in this year's U.S. Open field. Those who qualify typically finish anywhere between 5-under and 8-under over the course of 26 holes. But Homa, who has played in each of the five last U.S. Opens, has taken a surprising approach as it relates to Monday's qualifier. He delved into it after Thursday's opening round at the Memorial Tournament, where he carded a solid 2-under 70, the same score that World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler posted. "Was it an eye opener? I guess it wasn't an eye opener, it was just a bummer," Homa said of having to go through final qualifying for this year's U.S. Open. "Just because you don't start the year whatever I was in the world and think you're going to fall that far. But just, that's golf, so you just keep plugging along. I worried about [not making it into the majors] probably too much early in the skid, and then stopped worrying about it late." Homa has been quite open about his struggles all while keeping a positive mindset about his game and life overall. He's a new father, a reality that has become more important than anything else. "I never play well in the U.S. Open anyway, so at that point I probably would have missed the cut," he said with a smile. "If I don't get in it's all good," Homa added. "I just wanted to play because now that I'm a dad I would like to win or something on a Father's Day. But if not I'll just hang out with my son and it will be a great day." It is not often you hear a professional golfer appear indifferent about a major championship. Though, Homa was optimistic during his pre-tournament press conference on Wednesday at the Memorial. "It's not been fun, but I do see fun days ahead, which gives me, you know, just makes it a little bit lighter, I guess," Homa said. "I guess a lot of weeks early in the year I felt like, If I don't play well this week, like then what. The last few weeks have felt more like, 'Okay, if I don't play well this week it will be another week.' So I think that's been a big change." Maybe his changed approach pays off this week with a strong finish at the Memorial. Could Homa then parlay that with a terrific day on Monday, and make it into the U.S. Open the hard way? Who knows. Anything in golf is possible, including the rises and falls of any given player. Nobody could have forseen Homa's rapid descent coming one year ago; then again, nobody knows where he will be in 2026. Maybe he does return to form and find himself in the top 10 again. More Golf: Justin Thomas' Perfect Advice for Lexi Thompson at US Women's Open
Yahoo
17-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
2025 PGA Championship: Brooks Koepka snaps at heckling fan, misses the cut at Quail Hollow
Brooks Koepka did not have a great week at Quail Hollow. Koepka, who missed the cut at the PGA Championship, got into it briefly with a heckling spectator on the course Friday. A fan sitting in a hospitality tent made a quip about LIV Golf as Koepka walked by. After taking a minute to process it, Koepka fired back. "That's what guaranteed money does to you, Brooks," the fan yelled, referencing the more than $100 million Kopeka earned for joining the Saudi Arabian-backed league. "You want to come down here and say it?" Koepka yelled at the fan, who didn't have much of a response. Good on Brooks Koepka to call out this loser who just squirms immediately after being a total idiot — LIV Golf Buff (@LIVGolfBuff) May 17, 2025 While fighting with fans for any reason isn't a great sign, it's easy to see why Koepka was on edge. He looked awful throughout the first two rounds of the tournament. He shot a 4-over 75 on Thursday, and then he fired a 5-over 76 on Friday to get to 9-over on the week — which was well outside the cutline. Koepka had six bogeys and a double on his card Friday, too. Koepka, who has won the PGA Championship three times, has struggled recently at the major championships — which is becoming a trend for many who opted to join LIV Golf. Koepka didn't finish better than T26 at any of the four majors last season, and he missed the cut at the Masters last month. Koepka entered this week at No. 354 in the Official World Golf Rankings, though he's unable to earn points at LIV Golf events. He's got an outside chance at earning a spot in the U.S. Ryder Cup team this fall, though automatically qualifying is almost certainly out of the question after his performances at the first two major championships. Koepka will have a chance to turn things around next month at the U.S. Open, a tournament he's won twice in his career. But with the way things are going, and the current state of things between LIV Golf and the PGA Tour, he shouldn't be surprised if there are more comments hurled his way at Oakmont.
