For fans of the American player, there appear to be some doubts around why he’s not pitched up in Northern Ireland this weekend.
Why isn’t Max Homa playing at the 2025 Open Championship?
You might be wondering, why is Max Homa – six‑time PGA Tour winner and a steady presence in majors - not teeing it up at Royal Portrush? It isn’t injury this time. Instead, it’s a slump in form that knocked him out of both the world‑ranking qualifications and the final qualifying stages.
What happened to Homa in 2025?
Homa entered the season ranked around 10th in the world. But a rocky start in 2025 saw no top‑10 finishes since May, several missed cuts, and even a withdrawal at the Farmers Insurance Open due to illness. He changed equipment sponsors, split from his longtime caddie Joe Greiner in April, and tried to retool under new swing coach John Scott Rattan. The combo clearly didn’t snap him back to peak form.
He needed a strong finish at the John Deere Classic – or a top‑ranking world position – to clinch a spot at Portrush. Instead, despite a promising T5 at Deere, he ended up just outside qualification for the Open field, now just out of the top 100.
Instead of heading to Northern Ireland, Homa opted for the Barracuda Championship’s alternate event. Reports say he’s focusing on regaining confidence and finding consistency away from the major spotlight.
So, no injury, no drama – just the brutal reality of golf rankings and qualifying. Homa’s form dipped, the cut came, and he missed the field for the first time since 2019.
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