Hoey fires eagle-aided 66

Rico Hoey closed with a flourish, eagling the par-5 14th and birdieing the 16th to fire a four-under-par 66 in the opening round of the Rocket Classic at Detroit Golf Club on Thursday.

The Manila-born 30-year-old Filipino-American, who turned professional in 2017 after a standout collegiate career at the University of Southern California, put himself in early contention in the $10 million PGA Tour event with five birdies and an eagle against just two bogeys.

He sits in a big group on joint 13th.

American Peter Malnati shot a 61 to take the first-round lead, two shots ahead of compatriots Ricky Fowler and Ryan Gerard.

Hoey entered the week ranked around 115th to 121st in the FedExCup standings, depending on the rankings update, as he continues his push to secure full playing privileges for next season.

He has made 13 of 18 cuts this season, recording three top-25 finishes but no victories on the PGA Tour. Hoey has two professional wins to his name — one on the Korn Ferry Tour and another on PGA Tour Canada — and is seeking to build momentum with 14 events remaining in the regular season.

His 66 put him in position to make an early move in the FedExCup race, where every strong finish becomes increasingly valuable for players battling to stay inside the playoff picture.

Meanwhile, Justin Quiban, making just his second PGA Tour start after advancing through Monday qualifying, sat in 115th place in the FedExCup standings after opening with a 72 at the Rocket Classic, a round marred by back-to-back bogeys on the 17th and 18th holes that erased earlier gains and left him outside the cut line entering Friday.

Aggressive Malnati

Malnati arrived at the Rocket Classic searching for answers after a season marked by more missed cuts than made weekends. The 39-year-old American found them, firing a career-best 9-under-par 61 to match the tournament record and seize a two-shot lead.

Malnati set the tone from the start by ignoring his caddie’s advice to leave the driver in the bag. The aggressive decision paid off as he birdied the opening hole and went on to card seven birdies on the front nine. A 55-foot birdie putt on the 11th briefly raised hopes of a sub-60 round before he settled for a bogey-free 61. “Even in the beginning, before I knew it was going to be a special day, I didn’t feel the same level of anxiety,” Malnati said.

Despite a $16 million renovation that made Detroit Golf Club more challenging, low scores remained plentiful.

Rickie Fowler and Ryan Gerard opened with 63s to trail by two shots, while Patrick Cantlay and Patrick Fishburn carded 64s.

Michael Brennan recovered from two over through four holes by reeling off eight straight birdies, finishing with a 65 to join a group that included Keegan Bradley four shots behind.

World No. 3 Cameron Young opened with a 69, while U.S. Open champion Wyndham Clark struggled to a 1-over 71.