Hoffman, Hoey Share PGA Tour Lead in La Quinta

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

- Agencies

LOS ANGELES:

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.

The US veteran said there was little to draw on since the courses in use 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 playing alongside the pros.

"I really do enjoy playing with amateurs, getting to know them, trying to help them play a better round of golf than I do," Hoffman said.