5 golfers who shockingly missed the cut at a windy Farmers Insurance Open (including Max Homa!)
Torrey Pines is already a pretty difficult golf course under the best of circumstances. This week’s weather at the Farmers Insurance Open across the famed course was far from the best.
Santa Ana winds whipped across San Diego, reaching speeds of 30 miles per hour and wreaking havoc on scorecards. Second-round play was eventually paused for nearly 90 minutes and a few players had to finish up on Friday morning.
Both courses averaged more than three shots over par, according to the PGA, including the second-highest scoring average ever recorded on the North Course.
Which is to say the leaderboard looks much tighter than we’re used to seeing over the last few weeks. The cutline came in at one over par as Lanto Griffin and Ludvig Aberg held a tie for first at six under.
Plenty of big names were axed before the weekend. These five were the most surprising.
All odds via BetMGM
Tony Finau (+5)
Raymond Carlin III-USA TODAY Sports
Make Cut Odds: -300
Miss Cut Odds: +220
A former runner-up at the Farmers Insurance Open in 2021, Finau held some of the best odds on the board to make the cut this week. Then he went out and shot a modest 72 on Wednesday before a crushing 77 on Thursday with two double bogeys on one birdie.
Max Homa (+4, WD)
Raymond Carlin III-USA TODAY Sports
Make Cut Odds: -225
Miss Cut Odds: +170
The 2023 Farmers Insurance Open champion withdrew from play citing an illness during Thursday’s wind delay. After shooting 77 on Wednesday, Homa was four over par through through 15 holes in his second round and guaranteed to miss the cut.
Shane Lowry (+3)
Jack Gruber-USA TODAY Sports
Make Cut Odds: -250
Miss Cut Odds: +188
If there’s anyone you’d expect to play stronger with the wind on Friday, it’s Shane Lowry. The Irishman is typically a bad-weather expert. Not so much this week. After shooting a mediocre 72 on Wednesday, he fell apart with six bogeys on Thursday’s back nine to miss the cut by two strokes.
Matthieu Pavon (+9)
Ray Acevedo-USA TODAY Sports
Make Cut Odds: -250
Miss Cut Odds: +188
The reigning Farmers Insurance Open champion didn’t have any better luck than Homa. Pavon shot a 73 on Wednesday, then unraveled with the wind on Thursday with an 80 — thanks to eight bogeys and a double bogey on two birdies.
Si Woo Kim (+3)
Raymond Carlin III-USA TODAY Sports
Make Cut Odds: -225
Miss Cut Odds: +170
It’s been an inconsistent start to the year for Kim, who misses the cut for the second time in four events this season. After finishing The Sentry tied for 32nd, Kim missed the weekend at the Sony Open, then bounced back for a T51 at the American Express. At Torrey Pines, he went 71-76 with three bogeys and one birdie over his final nine holes of the week.