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Max Homa parlayed a solo second at the John Deere Classic into a spot on the tee sheet at the 2026 Open Championship. But unlike so many of his major-bound cohorts, Homa is not in the Genesis Scottish Open this week as final major prep.
Nope, the six-time PGA Tour winner is instead at the opposite-field ISCO Championship in Louisville, Kentucky. Maybe taking the path less traveled will lead to success at Royal Birkdale.
He didn't know he made the Open field until earlier this week.
"Got a call Monday. We asked about it Sunday night. I think back in the day or at least how I remembered it at the Deere, the highest finisher not in got a spot. They don't have that anymore, but I guess the World Ranking got me in or something like that," he said Wednesday at Hurstbourne Country Club, meeeting with the media during a weather delay. "So I got a call Monday. I had a bit of a panic. We had obviously zero thought of going over there. I won't see my family now for a few weeks but that was a bit of a scramble, but my wife's a superstar and told me to head on over."
Homa's best finish prior to the JDC was a top-10 at the Masters but many of his 2026 outings have been far from fruitful. But he found something at TPC Deere Run, finishing at 19 under. He's got a string of nine straight rounds in the 60s going, highlighted by a season-best 64 in the final round last Sunday.
Next up? The tournament he calls his favorite event of the year.
"I love the golf over there. The fans are truly incredible, they're so knowledgeable. There's just something about the walk up 18 at Opens is unlike anything I've done," he said. "So last year I was playing at Tahoe and I woke up every morning to watch [the Open] because I just think it's the coolest golf tournament. It was a shame that there was no bad weather as you're watching from a bed. This year now we look and it does look like pretty good weather, so I'm kind of praying that we get a similar week.
"It's just a fun event, I don't really know how to explain it. It's definitely going to be a bit of a scramble week. Don't have the greatest flight in the world out of here Sunday night, but once we're there I think that week I smile and enjoy myself the most of all weeks."
As far as playing the ISCO, which he committed to before knowing he was in the British, Homa can clarify.
"Full transparency, if I knew I was in the Open, I would have played in Scotland," he made clear. He then went on to explain why he should play the Louisville event. "I did feel a bit of an obligation in a good way to play this. As everyone knows, that is an opposite-field event. They don't get as much I guess notoriety, but this one, especially being co-sanctioned by the DP World Tour, it's got a pretty awesome field. I don't know, I would be kicking myself if I left an event high and dry. Not that I think I'm the, you know, hottest thing in town or anything, but I got to speak with a bunch of the people who put this event on and I've been reached out to by a lot of people who are very excited I was coming, so it would have felt not so good skipping."
This article originally appeared on Golfweek: British Open-bound Max Homa playing ISCO instead of Genesis Scottish
Continue reading...
Nope, the six-time PGA Tour winner is instead at the opposite-field ISCO Championship in Louisville, Kentucky. Maybe taking the path less traveled will lead to success at Royal Birkdale.
He didn't know he made the Open field until earlier this week.
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"Got a call Monday. We asked about it Sunday night. I think back in the day or at least how I remembered it at the Deere, the highest finisher not in got a spot. They don't have that anymore, but I guess the World Ranking got me in or something like that," he said Wednesday at Hurstbourne Country Club, meeeting with the media during a weather delay. "So I got a call Monday. I had a bit of a panic. We had obviously zero thought of going over there. I won't see my family now for a few weeks but that was a bit of a scramble, but my wife's a superstar and told me to head on over."
Homa's best finish prior to the JDC was a top-10 at the Masters but many of his 2026 outings have been far from fruitful. But he found something at TPC Deere Run, finishing at 19 under. He's got a string of nine straight rounds in the 60s going, highlighted by a season-best 64 in the final round last Sunday.
Next up? The tournament he calls his favorite event of the year.
"I love the golf over there. The fans are truly incredible, they're so knowledgeable. There's just something about the walk up 18 at Opens is unlike anything I've done," he said. "So last year I was playing at Tahoe and I woke up every morning to watch [the Open] because I just think it's the coolest golf tournament. It was a shame that there was no bad weather as you're watching from a bed. This year now we look and it does look like pretty good weather, so I'm kind of praying that we get a similar week.
"It's just a fun event, I don't really know how to explain it. It's definitely going to be a bit of a scramble week. Don't have the greatest flight in the world out of here Sunday night, but once we're there I think that week I smile and enjoy myself the most of all weeks."
As far as playing the ISCO, which he committed to before knowing he was in the British, Homa can clarify.
"Full transparency, if I knew I was in the Open, I would have played in Scotland," he made clear. He then went on to explain why he should play the Louisville event. "I did feel a bit of an obligation in a good way to play this. As everyone knows, that is an opposite-field event. They don't get as much I guess notoriety, but this one, especially being co-sanctioned by the DP World Tour, it's got a pretty awesome field. I don't know, I would be kicking myself if I left an event high and dry. Not that I think I'm the, you know, hottest thing in town or anything, but I got to speak with a bunch of the people who put this event on and I've been reached out to by a lot of people who are very excited I was coming, so it would have felt not so good skipping."
This article originally appeared on Golfweek: British Open-bound Max Homa playing ISCO instead of Genesis Scottish
Continue reading...
