Hoey's eagle finish ignites hope at Texas Open

MANILA, Philippines — Poised to settle for a modest opening round, Rico Hoey instead delivered a moment of brilliance, draining a clutch eagle on the par-5 18th to salvage a two-under 70 at the Valero Texas Open at The Oaks course in TPC San Antonio on Thursday (Friday Manila time).

On the verge of an ordinary start, the big-hitting Filipino-American unleashed a spectacular closing sequence. After splitting the fairway on the closing 601-yard hole, Hoey launched a towering second shot from 246 yards that settled 41 feet left of the pin. What followed was pure magic — his eagle putt tracked perfectly before dropping into the cup, igniting a jubilant celebration marked by raised arms and a shake of disbelief.

The stunning finish transformed an otherwise steady round of one birdie and one bogey into a momentum-building effort that could spark a strong campaign in the $9.8-million championship.

Hoey, currently chasing a breakthrough performance on the PGA Tour, found himself five shots behind early leader Mark Hubbard, who fired a 65 to edge Tony Finau and a crowded pack. Still, Hoey’s late surge lifted him into a tie for 46th — well within striking distance given his explosive scoring ability.

The ICTSI-backed standout opened with a 13-foot birdie but struggled to build momentum, missing a couple of opportunities inside 15 feet. Yet his closing eagle may prove to be the turning point he needs.

With a season-best tied 24th finish at the Phoenix Open and recent respectable showings — including a tie for 26th at the Valspar Championship and a joint 28th at the Houston Open — Hoey has shown flashes of form. If he can carry the confidence from that electrifying finish, he could emerge as a dark horse contender this week.

Meanwhile, action on the LPGA Tour saw Hyo Joo Kim and Nelly Korda resume their budding rivalry, both opening with 68s at the Aramco Championship at Shadow Creek in Las Vegas.

The duo, tied for fourth alongside Jing Yan, trailed leaders Miyu Yamashita, Nasa Hataoka and Lauren Coughlin, who carded identical 67s.

Kim is looking for a third straight victory after edging Korda at Fortinet Founders Cup in California and at Ford Championship in Arizona.

A tightly packed leaderboard followed, with Cara Gainer, Andrea Lee, Gemma Dryburgh and Hannah Screen also posting 68s.

Solaire ambassadress Ina Yoon stayed in the mix with a roller-coaster 70 highlighted by five birdies against three bogeys, joining notable names such as Charley Hull, Lauren Walsh and Leona Maguire at 11th spot.