Max Homa Falls Short at U.S. Open Qualifier During “Golf’s Longest Day”

Summary:

• Max Homa missed out on a U.S. Open spot after a late three-putt and playoff loss on Monday.
• Homa carried his own bag for 36 holes in “Golf’s Longest Day”.
• Cameron Young clinched the final qualifying spot in Columbus while Mason Howell stole the spotlight in Georgia.

Max Homa gave his best on the course Monday in the U.S. Open qualifying, but it wasn’t quite enough.

Competing at Kinsale Golf and Fitness Club in Columbus, Ohio, the six-time PGA Tour winner tried to book a spot in his sixth straight U.S. Open.

Without a caddie following a recent split, the 34-year-old Californian carried his own bag for 36 grueling holes in what’s known as “Golf’s Longest Day”, the one-day, coast-to-coast qualifying marathon for the U.S. Open.

Despite the effort, Homa missed out. A costly three-putt for par on his final hole dropped him into a five-for-one playoff at 5-under.

Homa said before the playoff,

It’s probably going to be heartbreaking, but it’s all right. I haven’t carried my bag 36 holes in a while, so I’m a little tired.

Cameron Young emerged from that playoff with a clutch birdie on the first hole to secure the final Columbus spot, sending Homa, Rickie Fowler, Eric Cole, and Chase Johnson home.

Homa and Fowler, both big names with six PGA Tour wins apiece, were among the biggest draws in the Columbus field.

Max Homa has struggled in 2025, missing five straight cuts before a solid T12 at the Masters. Fowler’s season has also been quiet, but he posted a promising T7 finish at the Memorial Tournament the day before.

Across North America, 10 qualifiers took place Monday, with 47 players out of 744 advancing to the U.S. Open, which begins June 12 at Oakmont Country Club near Pittsburgh, where the top golfers will tee off.

While Homa and Fowler came up short, the USGA could still offer exemptions when announced next week.

Perhaps the day’s most exciting story unfolded in Georgia, where 17-year-old Mason Howell dominated his qualifier at Piedmont Driving Club.

The high school junior shot 18-under, at one point holding a six-shot lead. “It was a rollercoaster all day”. he told Golf Channel.

Just hugging my mom and my dad walking off 18 green is just a feeling that I don’t know if I’ll feel again.

There was heartbreak, too. Nick Barrett, a UPS driver competing in Maryland, posted a bogey-free 68, only to be disqualified for forgetting to sign his scorecard.

For many, Golf’s Longest Day delivered everything it promised: drama, exhaustion, heartbreak, and unexpected triumph.