Charley Hoffman and Rico Hoey shared the lead after two thrilling rounds at The American Express, both delivering impressive 9-under 63 performances on the Nicklaus Tournament Course. Their stellar play brought them to the forefront of the event, which was previously known as the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic. Hoffman's familiarity with the Palm Springs area, where he's been playing since childhood, and his fondness for the Nicklaus course clearly worked in his favor. Meanwhile, Hoey, who grew up just 80 miles away in Rancho Cucamonga, is making strides toward his first PGA Tour victory in his second full year on the tour.
The tournament, held in the sunny climes of Palm Springs, saw Hoffman, at 48 years old, showcasing not just experience but also resilience. Despite not having won since 2016 and facing years of back trouble, he remains determined to compete. Reflecting on his journey, Hoffman remarked on the rarity of players his age on the PGA Tour.
"I'm 48," and they sort of give you a look, like, what, you're 48 out here still playing? And in this day and age when we're going to 100 players now, guys playing at 48 on the PGA Tour is a thing of the past. I don't think you're going to see that much longer on the PGA Tour. But I'm going to try to battle out here as long as I can." – Charley Hoffman
Rico Hoey, whose roots are deeply connected to the region, expressed a sense of comfort and familiarity playing near his hometown.
"I played a lot of junior events out here, so just feels like I'm home," – Rico Hoey
The favorable weather conditions further enhanced scoring opportunities for the players. Hoey acknowledged the advantageous elements and shared his aspirations amidst seasoned competitors.
"It's great. Weather is awesome, so we don't really have too many tough conditions with the wind and whatnot. Made it a lot easier to score…. I'm still kind of starstruck with a lot of those guys, Hoffman, Cantlay, Rickie and whatnot. For me, it's really cool just to put my name out there and just keep up with them, so that's all I'm trying to do." – Rico Hoey
Not far behind the leaders were Jason Day and J.J. Spaun, who both stood at 14 under after two rounds. Patrick Cantlay, Will Zalatoris, and Doug Ghim followed closely at 12 under. Meanwhile, Rickie Fowler made a significant charge into contention with an impressive 10 birdies and a second-round score of 62 on the Nicklaus. Justin Thomas and Sony Open champion Nick Taylor joined Fowler at 13-under 131.
First-round leader J.T. Poston faced a setback with a 4-over 76 on the Stadium Course, causing a sharp descent down the leaderboard.
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