Hoey falls short of Top-10 finish but secures season-best 15th at Rocket Classic
MANILA, Philippines — Rico Hoey came within striking distance of a coveted Top-10 finish, but a costly late three-putt and a string of missed birdie chances left him settling for a share of 15th after a 68 in the final round of the Rocket Classic.
Michael Thorbjornsen won the tournament in come-from-behind fashion in Detroit on Sunday (Monday Manila time).
Hoey raced to a hot start before losing momentum, then reignited his charge with three consecutive birdies from No. 12 to put himself in contention for a strong finish. But his bid unraveled on the par-3 No. 15, where he three-putted from 47 feet for bogey.
He failed to recover over the closing stretch, narrowly missing birdie attempts from 22 feet on the 16th, 16 feet on the next, and a makeable 10-footer on the final hole that could have lifted him into the Top 10.
Despite the agonizing finish, a closing two-under card and an 11-under 269 total earned the Filipino-American a joint 15th place — marking his highest finish of the PGA Tour season.
Thorbjornsen delivered a bogey-free 63, reeling off five backside birdies to capture his career-first PGA Tour victory at an 262 total.
Carrying the momentum from an inspiring third-round 66 at the par-70 Detroit Golf Club, ICTSI-backed Hoey birdied two of his first four holes, including a crisp four-footer on No. 2 and a stress-free two-putt on the par-5 fourth, thrusting himself deep into contention.
Though back-to-back bogeys from No. 6 threatened to derail his charge, Hoey displayed admirable resilience. He steadied his game and ignited a roaring back-nine charge with a three-birdie blitz from No. 12, stuffed a stellar approach shot to within two feet then capitalized on a precise setup to drain an 11-footer on the 13th and then canned a five-footer on the par-5 to ignite his comeback.
Poised to storm into the Top 10, Hoey's momentum slammed into a wall on the last par-3. Struggling with distance control, his tee shot left him facing a daunting 47-foot lag putt. His birdie bid came up 12 feet short, and he compounded the error by missing the subsequent par putt.
The stumble proved fatal to his push higher up the leaderboard. Down the stretch, however, Hoey fought valiantly but could not buy a clutch roll.
While the finish stung given how close he came to a Top 10, the joint 15th place effort serves as a moral victory, eclipsing his previous season-best tied 17th and helping him right the ship after a difficult stretch marked by four missed cuts.
While Hoey rued what could have been, Thorbjornsen authored a Sunday masterclass. Saving his best for the final round, he caught fire on the back nine, stringing together five flawless birdies to card a seven-under round. That blistering finish propelled him past the field to capture his maiden PGA Tour title at 18-under total.
Xander Schauffele mounted a ferocious charge of his own with a 65, ultimately finishing two strokes back at 264. Meanwhile, third-round leader Davis Riley stumbled down the stretch with a costly bogey on No. 17, closing with a 70 to settled for third at 265.
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