Max Homa Sneaking Into Royal Birkdale Because Somebody Else Missed a 2-Foot-8 Putt Is Exactly Why Golf Rules

Image: Birdie Report

One of the best things about golf is that it never asks permission before getting stupid.

That is why I love the Max Homa story.

According to Associated Press reporting published July 9, 2026, Ben Kohles missed a 2-foot-8 bogey putt late at the John Deere Classic, which changed the finishing math enough that Homa moved to No. 73 in the world ranking instead of being left outside the relevant cutoff. The Open’s official July 8 qualification tracker then confirmed that Homa was one of 15 players who got into Royal Birkdale through the Official World Golf Ranking.

That is brutal for Kohles, lucky for Homa, and absolutely perfect for the sport.

This column is based on AP reporting published July 9, 2026 and The Open’s official qualification and field pages checked on July 12, 2026. No pretending I built the OWGR spreadsheet in a basement and watched one missed putt recalculate Europe.

For the surrounding Open-week context, read our final-qualifying story from Royal Birkdale, the opinion piece on why the new Monday last-chance qualifier works, and our U.S. Open final-qualifying piece about Homa getting bounced the hard way.

This Is the Right Kind of Cruel

Golf should not apologize for this.

The AP report says Kohles hit his approach on the 18th into the water, still had a chance to force a playoff, then missed the short bogey putt that turned a potential two-way tie for second into a three-way tie for third. The same report says the miss cost him $318,200 and 100 FedExCup points.

Awful.

Also kind of beautiful in the sick, old-school golf way.

Every shot matters is the most overused line in this sport, but every now and then golf produces a sequence that actually earns it. This one did.

Homa Needed the Door To Open Somehow

This is also why the story lands emotionally.

Homa is not some random name sneaking into a weak field. He is one of the most recognizable players in American golf, and his 2026 season has already included enough frustration to make a weird break feel earned in the cosmic sense, if not the spreadsheet sense.

We already wrote about him getting shut out of U.S. Open final qualifying in our Golf’s Longest Day piece. We also covered the earlier spring moment when Phil Mickelson’s PGA Championship withdrawal opened a late door for Homa.

So yes, this is now becoming a strange little 2026 theme:

• Homa keeps finding himself near the wrong side of the door
• and then golf occasionally kicks one open in the dumbest way possible

I am fine with that.

The Open Still Benefits From Weird, Merit-Adjacent Energy

Important distinction: this is not some sponsor pick or pity invite.

The Open’s official tracker says Homa got in through an established OWGR pathway alongside names like Sahith Theegala, Tom Kim, David Puig, and Eric Cole. It is not fake. It is just chaotic.

And honestly, The Open Championship should want a little chaos around the edge of its field.

That is part of what keeps the week from feeling sealed shut. We already made the broader argument in our column on the Monday qualifier. This is the same basic idea from a different doorway: if the qualification system can still produce one bizarre ripple effect that changes a major field, then the sport still has some pulse.

Golf Is Better When Consequences Spill Sideways

The AP story is useful because it shows how one finish can reach across multiple players and multiple weeks:

• Kohles lost money and points
• Homa jumped into the right ranking window
• and Royal Birkdale got a more recognizable name in the field

That is a proper golf butterfly effect.

You do not need to love the ranking system to appreciate the drama of that chain reaction. In fact, the ranking system probably works best as a storytelling machine when it is making everybody mildly angry.

My Take

If golf is going to be cruel, I prefer this version.

Not courtroom cruel. Not committee cruel. Not fake-closed-shop cruel.

I mean shot-by-shot cruel, where one nervy finish at TPC Deere Run ends up echoing all the way to Royal Birkdale.

That feels like the sport I signed up for.

Bottom Line

Max Homa is in the field for The 154th Open at Royal Birkdale through the OWGR route, and AP’s July 9 report makes clear that Ben Kohles’ missed 2-foot-8 bogey putt at the John Deere Classic helped swing the math.

It is harsh, a little ridiculous, and completely on-brand for golf.

Which is exactly why it works.