A Rough Day 2 For Max Homa at the FedEx St. Jude Championships

Hoping to stay in the top-50 of the FedEx Cup standings, the Cal grad slips to last-place in the 70-player field at Memphis

Max Homa sizes up a putt. / Chris Day/The Commercial Appeal / USA TODAY NETWORK

Max Homa has two days to rescue his season after falling into last place at the FedEx St. Jude Championship on Friday, when he had five bogeys, a double-bogey and a triple-bogey over the final 10 holes.

The world’s 17th-ranked player, Homa finds himself 18 strokes behind second-round leader Denny McCarthy at TPC Southwind in Memphis in the opening leg of the three-week FedEx Cup playoffs.

Homa arrived at Memphis sitting in 35th place in the FedEx Cup standings and only the top 50 in those rankings will advance to next week’s BMW Championships at Denver. And perhaps his status isn't do-or-die at this point: PGAtour.com's updated FedEx Cup standings projection on Friday evening has Homa dropping six spots to No. 41, which still would qualify him for next week.

Fellow Cal grad Collin Morikawa, who began the week ranked fourth in the FedEx Cup standings, also had a rough Friday. The 33-year-old went out with a 3-over 38 on the front nine and never recovered. 

He finally carded birdies on Nos. 14 and 15 to finish the day with a 71 and is 12 strokes back in a tie for 42nd place.

Things were somewhat better for Byeong Hun An, the 32-year-old South Korean, who spent one year at Cal. Ranked 12th in the FedEx Cup standings entering the week, An shot an even-par 70 and remains at 1 under and tied for 42nd place.

Denny McCarthy and Hideki Matsuyama share the second-round lead at minus-11. McCarthy made nine birdies on his way to a 7-under 63 and Matsuyama folded seven birdies into his round of 64.

Sam Burns included an eagle in his front-nine score of 29 and sits in third place, one stroke back, after a 63.

World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler, who holds a huge lead in the FedEx Cup standings, posted a 65 and sits alone in fourth place at 9 under, just two strokes back of McCarty and Matsuyama.

First-round leader Chris Kirk followed his 64 with a 70 and slipped nine spots into a share of 10th place at minus-6.

Homa, 33, started Friday in solid position, tied for 28th place after a 1-under 69 in the first round. He birdied No. 4 and was a 2 under for the tournament when things began to fall apart with his double-bogey on No. 9. On the back nine, Homa had either a bogey or triple-bogey (on the par-4 13th) on six of nine holes.

For Homa, winner of six career PGA Tour events, this was the second time this season he carded a 78. He did it first in late May in the opening round of the Charles Schwab Challenge at Fort Worth. He rebounded to shoot a 69 in the second round but failed to make the cut.

There is no cut this weekend, but unless Homa flips his fortunes he risks being ousted from the playoffs.