Late-round woes haunt Hoey again at The American Express

MANILA, Philippines -- Rico Hoey faced tough challenges at the Pete Dye Stadium course, faltering with a two-over 74 on moving day and dropping from a share of the lead to 17th place in The American Express, now led by Sepp Straka in California on Saturday (Sunday Manila time).

Coming off strong performances at the La Quinta and Nicklaus Tournament courses, Hoey struggled to find his rhythm at Stadium. His chipping and putting woes led to three bogeys on the back nine, where he teed off, including a missed par putt from nine feet on the par-3 13th.

A solid drive at the par-5 16th unraveled with a second shot into the rough, a poor chip, and a three-putt from 66 feet. Another three-putt mishap on the 18th from 43 feet capped off a frustrating start.

Birdie chances on Nos. 10 and 11 slipped away as Hoey missed from inside 10 feet.

The Filipino-American, who dazzled earlier with a career-best 10-birdie binge for a 63 Friday, managed just two birdies in this round. He sank a 16-footer on the par-3 4th and a four-footer on the par-5 eighth but endured another three-putt mistake on No. 7.

Hoey's 14-under total of 202 now leaves him nine strokes behind Straka, who stormed ahead with a bogey-free 64 at La Quinta to lead at 23-under 193, positioning himself for a third PGA Tour title.

Charley Hoffman, Hoey’s co-leader after Friday, dropped to second at 197 despite a solid 69, tying with Jason Day (67) and Justin Lower (68).

Despite his stellar start to the tournament, Hoey’s inability to sustain momentum has been a recurring theme.

His Friday 63 showed his potential, but Saturday's struggles brought back the "ghost" of late-round meltdowns.

He also moved into contention after shooting a 64 in the second round of the Sony Open in Hawaii last week but wound up at tied 59th.

With 18 holes remaining, the one-time Korn Ferry winner still has a chance to rebound and prove he can rise above the challenges of this demanding championship.