LA QUINTA, Calif. — Charley Hoffman knows his time on the PGA Tour is short. He can feel all of his 48 years whenever his tough back kicks in, and he knows that recent tour card cuts will end many players’ careers well before they reach his age.
But Hoffman isn’t done swinging yet.
Back home in Southern California, he fought for a chance to take the lead Friday at American Express, a championship he won 18 years ago — and he’s determined to keep fighting until the end of his career.
“When I’m healthy, the weather is warm, I feel like I can beat anyone in the world,” Hoffman said with a smile. “When it’s cold and my back doesn’t feel right, I don’t think I can beat anyone in the world.”
Hoffman and Rico Hoey both shot 9-under 63 on the Nicklaus Tournament Course to share the lead after two rounds in the Coachella Valley desert.
Hoffman and Hoey were at 16-under 128 during the three-course tournament, though both Southern California natives have yet to play the PGA West’s tough Pete Day Stadium Course. They were shot ahead of Justin Lower, Mark Hubbard and Sepp Straka. Jason Day and JJ Spaun were under 14.
Hoffman is looking for his fifth victory while playing the 517th event of his tour career. The San Diego native played his first PGA Tour event at Torrey Pines as a 17-year-old freshman but didn’t secure his tour card until 2006, a few years after graduating from UNLV.
Hoffman won his first PGA Tour title at this event in 2007, holding off John Rollins in a playoff on a windy weekend with sub-freezing temperatures. It was a celebrity known for the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic at the time, a West Coast landmark frequented by Hollywood stars and US presidents.
Hoffman hasn’t won since 2016, but he’s feeling good after years of back pain, especially two ruptured discs three years ago. He returned to contention on Friday with an eventful second round that included two bogeys and two eagles, and said he was grateful to be healthy enough to play with the aggression needed to compete with the smaller long hitters at the event.
“I have a good doctor at home, I have a good golf coach [and a] I’ve built a good team,” Hoffman said. “Don’t push it too hard in practice. Do not play too many events in a row. I probably spend more time in the gym staying fit and recovering than I do golf, because … this old dog probably won’t learn new shots, but if I’m healthy, I can still hit good shots. one.”
Hoffman knows he would have already stepped back and spent less time with his wife and two daughters — an absence he called the hardest part of his job. The whole family gathered in Palm Springs this week, everyone participated in the horse events in nearby Thermal, California.
“So they’re making money and I’m trying to make money,” he said with a laugh.
But Hoffman isn’t ready to be a full-time horse dad, or to look forward to the PGA Tour Champions in less than two years. He is determined to make the most of his remaining time in a large area.
“Competition is fun,” Hoffman said. “I love walking down beautiful streets and guys are like, ‘How old are you?’ [I say] ‘I’m 48,’ and they give you a look, like, what, you’re 48 here and still playing? And in this day and age where we’re going to 100 players now, guys playing 48 on the PGA Tour are a thing of the past. I don’t think he’ll see that long on the PGA Tour. But I will try to fight here as long as possible. “
Rickie Fowler entered contention with 10 birdies and a second-round 62 for Nicklaus, tying him even with Justin Thomas and Sony Open champion Nick Taylor at 13-under 131. Patrick Cantlay, Will Zalatoris and Doug Ghim were under 12.
First-round leader JT Poston moved down the leaderboard with a 4-over 76 on the Stadium Course.
Hoey, who grew up 80 miles away in Rancho Cucamonga and played at USC, is chasing his first win in his second full year on the PGA Tour. He has been playing courses around Palm Springs since he was 5 years old, and Nicklaus is one of his favorites.
“I’ve played a lot of junior events here, so I feel like I’m at home,” said Hoey. “It’s great. The weather is great, so we don’t have too much wind and stuff. It made it a lot easier to score. … I’m still in awe of a bunch of those guys, Hoffman, Cantlay, Rickie and whatnot Kimi , it’s really nice to put my name out there and keep up with them, so that’s all I’m trying to do.”
Source link
