Hoey’s monster putt fuels Sony Open surge

MANILA, Philippines -- Filipino Rico Hoey, fueled by an epic eagle-putt from outside the green on No. 9, surged into contention for his first PGA Tour victory after shooting a brilliant six-under 64 in the second round of the Sony Open at Wai’alae Country Club in Hawaii on Friday (Saturday Manila time).

Play was suspended due to darkness, leaving early contenders stranded.

Hoey thrived in his afternoon tee-time, racking up six birdies, including a three-birdie streak from Hole 11, to offset two bogeys for a 33-31 card in cloudy conditions.

The highlight of his round, however, was an improbable putt from well outside the green on the par-5 ninth, where he confidently stroked the ball along the perfect line, watching it drop dramatically into the cup.

His second-round 64 followed a modest 69 on Monday, bringing his total to a seven-under 133. This leap into joint 10th puts him just three strokes behind clubhouse leader Patrick Fishburn, who demonstrated remarkable consistency with back-to-back rounds of 65 for a 10-under 130 total.

Meanwhile, Denny McCarthy missed grabbing the solo lead, settling for a par on No. 18 at dusk for a 66 and a 130.

Other contenders include Kensei Hirata and Eric Cole, who posted matching 131s after rounds of 63 and 67, respectively, and a group tied for fifth at 132 that features Zach Johnson, Sepp Straka and Lee Hodges.

Hoey shared the 10th spot with Tom Kim (65), Brian Harman (67) and six others, setting the stage for a dramatic moving day on Saturday and a thrilling chase for the season-opening title on Sunday.