Hoffman credits Amex lead to 'solid' round

Charley Hoffman, seeking a fifth PGA Tour title at the age of 48, had 10 birdies in a nine-under 63 on Jan 17 to share the halfway lead in The American Express tournament with Rico Hoey of the Philippines.

- 

Hoffman finds himself in the hunt for his first victory since 2016 in the same tournament in which he bagged his first, back in 2007. But the veteran American said there was little to draw on since the courses used for the event at La Quinta, in the California desert near Palm Springs, have changed.

But he still loves the pro-am format and the mild, dry weather suits him down to the ground.

"I think somewhere inside me, I embrace the pro-am aspect," said Hoffman, who has experienced the various iterations of the event that once drew celebrity amateurs but now features mostly golf enthusiasts from the corporate world.