Hoey surges into crowded Wyndham race with 65
MANILA, Philippines — Rico Hoey vaulted into the thick of the Wyndham Championship title chase Friday (Saturday Manila time), firing a blistering five-under 65 to storm from a share of 23rd into joint fourth and within three strokes of two-day leader Beau Hossler at Sedgefield Country Club in Greensboro, North Carolina.
Hoey’s 33-32 card for a nine-under 131 was highlighted by three birdies in his last three scoring opportunities, turning what had been a steady round into a statement charge and putting the Filipino-American squarely in contention heading into the weekend of the $8.5-million championship.
It was Hoey’s biggest move into a PGA Tour title race since he finished runner-up in last year’s Bank of Utah Championship — and a timely breakthrough for the big-hitting shotmaker, who is expected to spearhead the Philippine golf team in the Asian Games in Nagoya, Japan next month.
The surge had been a long time coming.
After opening with regulation pars on the first two holes, Hoey got his round moving with a 10-foot birdie on the par-3 third. He quickly recovered from a three-putt bogey scare on the next hole, where he started 35 feet away, by two-putting for birdie on the par-5 fifth.
He narrowly missed a 16-footer for birdie on No. 6, settled for par on the seventh, then converted another 15-footer on the eighth to reach the turn in 33.
Hoey’s approach play remained sharp even when the birdies did not come as readily over the next few holes. He finally broke through again on the par-3 12th, sticking his tee shot inside 13 feet and rolling in the birdie putt.
Another precise approach on No. 13 left him only six feet for birdie, and Hoey made no mistake, suddenly putting himself in position to make a serious move up the leaderboard.
After a routine par, he took dead aim at the par-5 15th and dominated the hole, before closing out the round with pars on the final three.
The only blemish on an otherwise impressive finish was the putter.
Hoey, whose campaign is supported by ICTSI, had chances to make his round even more spectacular, missing an 18-footer on No. 16, a 12-footer on the 17th and another 11-footer on the last. The missed opportunities kept him from turning his five-under round into an even bigger statement, but they also offered a glimpse of how much higher he could climb if the putter heats up over the final 36 holes.
For now, Hoey walked off satisfied — and, more importantly, confident.
Three strokes behind Hossler, he enters Saturday’s Moving Day with momentum and plenty of room to make another charge in what has become a remarkably congested title race.
Hossler, who opened with a stunning 61, slowed to a 67 but retained the lead at 16-under 128. Jordan Smith and Ben James are just one stroke behind at 129 after shooting 64 and 67, respectively.
Hoey is part of a nine-player logjam at 131, alongside Alex Smalley, who fired a 64, and Sahith Theegala, who carded a 69.
With 13 players separated by only three strokes, the championship is shaping up for a wide-open weekend battle.
And Hoey, after finally finding his rhythm with the irons and making the crucial putts when it mattered, has given himself a chance to be right in the middle of it.
The late misses may have prevented an even more spectacular finish Friday.
But after a 65 that launched him from the middle of the pack into title contention, Hoey has every reason to believe there is more to come.
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