Last two champions blown away as Jason Day rallies to keep hope alive

Strong winds made scoring difficult in Round 2 at the Farmers Insurance Open, and a handful of big names were blown away, projected to miss the cut.

After a wind suspension of one hour and 25 minutes, players returned to the course but could not complete Round 2 before sunset.

The cut was projected to come at 1 over.

The casualties included Matthieu Pavon (80, 9 over) and Max Homa (W/D), who won the Farmers last year and in 2023, respectively.

“This is just survival mode out here today,” Joel Dahmen said in an on-course interview with Golf Channel’s Kira K. Dixon, adding that he’d never seen such intense wind at Torrey Pines. He shot 72 and was 3 under, three behind co-leaders Ludvig Åberg (75) and Lanto Griffin (72).

“It was super gusty,” said rookie Danny Walker (74, 5-under total), who shot 65 on the tougher South Course on Wednesday but struggled on the North.

Projected out

• Max Homa, who had amassed four of his six PGA TOUR victories in his home state of California, including the 2023 Farmers Insurance Open, struggled mightily. After a first-round 77 on the North Course he was 4-over on the South and 9-over total when play was suspended due to wind. He withdrew with three holes remaining. Homa, 48th in the Official World Golf Ranking, was coming off a T26 at The Sentry.
• Matthieu Pavon had gotten better every day at The Sentry (74-70-69-68, T48), but he’ll get just two rounds at the Farmers. The defending champion, who had carded a 1-over 73 on the South Course in Round 1, went backward in windy Round 2 on the North, shooting 80.
• Carl Yuan shot 73-70 to miss the cut at The Bahamas Great Abaco Classic at The Abaco Club on the Korn Ferry Tour, got into the Farmers, and flew to San Diego. Inside the cut line at Torrey Pines when the horn blew for the suspension, he triple-bogeyed the par-4 sixth hole to drop to 3-over total.
• Quade Cummins saw his short par putt horseshoe around the 18th hole and out for a 3-over 75 on the North Course. Bogeys on three of his last four holes dropped him to 2 over, one off the projected cut.

Projected in

• Jason Day, a two-time champion at the Farmers (2015, ’18) and former world No. 1, was one of the few players who had a better time of it in Round 2 than Round 1. After slumping to a 2-over 74 on the South Course on Wednesday, Day powered through the wind and birdied two of his last three holes for a 3-under 69 on the North. At 1-under total, Day is projected to make the cut with room to spare and, thanks to Åberg’s double-bogey at the 14th hole, should still be within sight of the leaders.

• Jackson Koivun shot a 68 on the South Course in Round 1, but the second-ranked amateur in the world got caught out on the more exposed North Course and was suddenly in danger of missing the cut. Not to worry; Koivun two-putted the seventh hole for an easy birdie, then birdied the par-5 ninth hole, as well, to finish at even par.
• Kevin Streelman birdied from 12 1/2 feet at the par-5 finishing hole on the South Course for a 1-over 73, moving him to 1-over total and squarely on the right side of the cut line.
• Garrick Higgo shot a first-round 72 at the Korn Ferry Tour’s event in the Bahamas on Sunday but withdrew when he moved to first alternate at the Farmers. “I thought, I’ve got to take my chance,” he said. He’d gotten into the field by the time he landed in San Diego. After carding an opening-round 70 on the North Course, he was 4-over on the South and on the wrong side of the projected cut. But he birdied the par-5 ninth to shoot 75. He’s 1-over and squarely on the cut line.
• William Mouw, who won fans after he made an octuple-bogey 13 in Round 2 of The American Express, was 2-under through 15 holes on the North on Friday, leaving him 1-under total when play was suspended due to darkness.
• Charley Hoffman hooked his tee shot out of play and had to take a penalty shot en route to a bogey-6 at the ninth hole of the South Course, his last hole of the day. Despite the mistake, his 75 leaves him at 1-over total and right on the projected cut line.