Hoey makes another fast start, shoots 66 to trail by 5

Rico Hoey of the Philippines plays his shot from the fourth tee during the first round of the Rocket Classic 2026 at Detroit Golf Club on July 30, 2026 in Detroit, Michigan.

Raj Mehta / Getty Images / AFP

MANILA, Philippines — Rico Hoey wasted little time putting last week's disappointment behind him, firing a four-under 66 on Thursday (Friday Manila time) to put himself firmly in the early mix at the Rocket Classic in Detroit.

The Filipino-American hopes to finally convert a strong opening round into a sustained title challenge.

After fading to a share of 62nd place in the 3M Open despite opening with a 67, Hoey delivered another impressive start at the par-70 Detroit Golf Club. This time, however, the ICTSI-backed campaigner is determined to maintain his momentum over the next three rounds as he chases a long-awaited breakthrough on the PGA Tour.

Hoey turned in a pair of 33s despite struggling on the greens, highlighting his opening round with an eagle and five birdies against three bogeys to finish five strokes behind first-round leader Peter Malnati.

Malnati sizzled with a flawless nine-under 61 to seize a two-shot lead over Rickie Fowler and Ryan Gerard, who matched 63s. Patrick Fishburn and Patrick Cantlay lurked just another stroke back after firing identical 64s, setting up a tightly packed leaderboard heading into Friday's second round.

Hoey came out firing, stuffing a wedge from 110 yards to within seven feet on the opening hole and converting the birdie putt. Although he failed to capitalize on birdie opportunities from 12 feet on No. 2 and 17 feet on No. 3 as his putter began to cool, he quickly regained control.

He birdied the par-5 fourth after reaching in regulation and two-putting, then knocked in a 12-footer on the par-3 fifth following a precise tee shot to move to three-under through five holes.

The momentum slowed on the front-nine closing stretch. After a routine par on No. 6, Hoey missed another birdie chance from 12 feet on the eighth before a three-putt from 37 feet on the par-3 ninth led to his first bogey of the day.

His struggles on the greens continued after the turn as he narrowly missed birdie tries from 12 feet on the 10th and nine feet on No. 11. Following pars on the next two holes, he failed to save par from a greenside bunker on No. 13, slipping back with his second bogey.

But the 30-year-old answered in spectacular fashion.

Hoey uncorked another booming drive on the par-5 14th, reached the green in two and calmly drained a 16-foot eagle putt to immediately erase the setback. He carried that momentum to the 16th, sinking another lengthy putt from 17 feet for birdie before closing with steady pars over the final two holes to preserve his four-under effort.

The round showcased both Hoey's tremendous ball-striking and the inconsistency that has often held him back. He repeatedly gave himself quality scoring opportunities but left several makeable birdie putts on the course, suggesting there is still room for even lower scores if his putter heats up over the weekend.

Hoey has been searching for his maiden PGA Tour victory since earning his card in 2023 through a Top 30 finish on the Korn Ferry Tour. His best result this season remains a tie for 17th at the Charles Schwab Challenge last May.

With another encouraging start in Detroit, the long-hitting Filipino-American has once again put himself in position to contend. If he can sustain the form that eluded him at the 3M Open, the spearhead of the Philippine team bound for this year's Asian Games in Nagoya, Japan could be on course for the best finish of his PGA Tour career.