Hoey holds nerve to make Sony Open cut as Riley charges into joint lead

Rico Hoey of the Philippines plays his shot from the second tee during the second round of the Sony Open in Hawaii 2026 at the Waialae Country Club on January 16, 2026 in Honolulu, Hawaii.

Cliff Hawkins / Getty Images / AFP

MANILA, Philippines — Rico Hoey squandered a fiery start with a wobbly finish but steadied himself just in time, birdieing the final hole to save an even-par 70 and squeeze into weekend play at the Sony Open in Honolulu, Hawaii on Friday (Saturday Manila time).

American Davis Riley surged into a crowded leaderboard with a scintillating 64, vaulting from joint 28th into a four-way tie for the lead at 131 alongside SH Kim, Adrien Dumont de Chassart and defending champion Nick Taylor, one stroke ahead of Maverick McNealy, Chris Gotterup, John Parry, Kevin Roy and Takumi Kanaya, who all sit at 132.

Taylor and Kim cooled off after blistering opening rounds of 62 and 63, respectively, posting 69 and 68. De Chassart also slowed down, following up his opening 64 with a 67 at the par-70 Waialae Country Club.

Hoey, who opened with a roller-coaster 69 on Thursday that showcased both promise and frustration, sparked hopes of a strong move up the leaderboard when he birdied No. 12 and again at the par-5 18th. But like many of the frontrunners, the Filipino-American shotmaker found the front nine far more demanding under tougher conditions.

Bogeys on Nos. 2 and 3 stalled his momentum, and another dropped shot on the par-3 seventh pushed him outside the cut line at even par overall. He recovered just in time by once again mastering the par-5 ninth, which he eagled in the opening round.

After a 306-yard drive into the right fairway, Hoey reached the green in two and calmly two-putted for birdie, securing a weekend berth in the $9.1-million championship, the season-opening event of the PGA Tour. He nearly made it more dramatic, missing an eagle putt from 15 feet that stopped just 10 inches short.

Earlier, Hoey, whose campaign is supported by ICTSI, missed birdie chances from 13 and 16 feet on the opening holes, then struck a crisp wedge to four feet on No. 12 for one of his two birdies. However, he struggled to create further opportunities down the stretch.

Iron play proved costly on the inward nine. He found the bunker on No. 2 and failed to save par, barely missed the green on No. 3 before three-putting for bogey, and again needed three putts on the par-3 seventh to drop another stroke.

Still, Hoey’s late birdie proved decisive, keeping his bid alive heading into the weekend.