How a Missed Putt in Illinois Qualified Max Homa for the British Open
Jul 5, 2026; Silvis, Illinois, USA; Max Homa tees off on the 2nd hole during the final round of the John Deere Classic golf tournament. Mandatory Credit: Marc Lebryk-Imagn Images
Jul 5, 2026; Silvis, Illinois, USA; Max Homa tees off on the 2nd hole during the final round of the John Deere Classic golf tournament. Mandatory Credit: Marc Lebryk-Imagn Images
Ben Kohles missed a 2-foot, 8-inch bogey putt at TPC Deere Run last Sunday. That miss handed Chris Gotterup the John Deere Classic. It also put Max Homa in the British Open field at Royal Birkdale next week.
The connection was reported by the Associated Press on July 7 from North Berwick, Scotland. Homa, 35, finished solo second at the John Deere Classic with rounds of 67-68-68-64, finishing at 19-under 267.
His world ranking moved from No. 112 to No. 73 as a result. The British Open used that week's ranking to finalize its field, and Homa received his invitation Monday morning.
Jul 24, 2025; Blaine, Minnesota, USA; Max Homa plays his shot on the 14th tee during the first round of the 3M Open golf tournament. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-Imagn Images
Jul 24, 2025; Blaine, Minnesota, USA; Max Homa plays his shot on the 14th tee during the first round of the 3M Open golf tournament. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-Imagn Images
Had Kohles made that short bogey putt, Max Homa would have finished tied for second with him instead of finishing alone in second place.
That two-way tie would have moved Homa only to No. 84, not far enough. He would have been the fifth alternate at Royal Birkdale, according to the AP, and unlikely to get in.
Homa had reached the top five in the world as recently as 2023. A difficult stretch dropped him to No. 112 heading into Silvis. His last Open Championship appearance was at Royal St George's in 2021. His best major finish remains a T-3 at the 2024 Masters.
Kohles was tied for the lead on 18 when his 8-iron found the water. After a penalty drop and a free drop from a sprinkler head, he had a 45-foot par putt from the fringe. He missed wide right.
The ball rolled out 2 feet, 8 inches away. He missed that too. Double bogey instead of par, a miss that cost Kohles $318,200 in earnings and 100 FedExCup points, per the AP. He moved to No. 100 in the standings instead of No. 83.
Homa, now confirmed for the British Open, is competing at the ISCO Championship in Kentucky this week alongside Sam Bairstow, the only two players there also in the Royal Birkdale field.
Potgieter Waits as Alternate Jockey for the Final Spots at Royal Birkdale.
Aldrich Potgieter sits at No. 77 in the world and is the first alternate for the British Open.
He has two routes in: the leading three Scottish Open finishers not already eligible to earn spots, and a 12-man Last Chance Qualifier is set for Monday at Birkdale. Potgieter and Matti Schmid are the top two reserves in that field.
Sam Burns remains a potential withdrawal. He is home with his wife, who is due to give birth to their second child. Burns has not yet formally withdrawn from the Open, according to the same report by the AP.
Nine players chose the ISCO Championship over the Scottish Open this week, including last year's Kentucky winner William Mouw, forgoing three available British Open spots in the process.
Do you think Homa's Open Championship spot gives him a chance at his first major title? Drop your thoughts in the comments.
Written by
Sneha Abraham
Edited by
Koushik Biswas