Charley Hoffman knows his time on the PGA Tour is running short. He can feel every one of his 48 years whenever his troublesome back acts up, and he knows the recent reduction in tour cards will end most players’ careers well before they reach his age.
Hoffman isn’t done swinging just yet, however.
He battled his way into a share of the lead Friday at the American Express, a tournament the Poway High alum won 18 years ago — and he’s determined to keep fighting until his time runs out.
“When I’m healthy, the weather’s warm, I feel like I can beat anybody in the world,” Hoffman said with a smile. “When it’s cold and my back’s not feeling good, I don’t think I can beat anybody in the world.”
Hoffman and Rico Hoey both shot 9-under 63 on the Nicklaus Tournament Course to share the lead after two rounds in the Coachella Valley.
Hoffman and Hoey were at 16-under 128 midway through the three-course tournament, although both Southern California natives have yet to play PGA West’s tougher Pete Day Stadium Course.
They were a shot ahead of Justin Lower, Mark Hubbard and Sepp Straka. Jason Day and J.J. Spaun, a San Diego State alum, were 14 under.
First-round leader J.T. Poston plummeted down the leaderboard with a 4-over 76 on the Stadium Course.
Hoffman is seeking his fifth victory while playing in the 517th event of his tour career. He played his first PGA Tour event at Torrey Pines as a 17-year-old amateur, but didn’t secure his tour card until 2006, several years after graduating from UNLV.
Hoffman won his first PGA Tour title at this event back in 2007, holding off John Rollins in a playoff on a windy weekend with sub-freezing temperatures. It was a celebrity pro-am known as the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic back then, a West Coast landmark frequently played by Hollywood stars and U.S. presidents.
Hoffman hasn’t won since 2016, but he is feeling good after years of back trouble, most notably two fragmented disks three years ago. He charged back into contention Friday with an eventful second round featuring two bogeys and two eagles, and he is grateful to be healthy enough to play with the aggression necessary to contend with the younger long-hitters in this event.
“I’ve got a great chiropractor at home, I’ve got a good golf coach (and a) good team I built,” Hoffman said. “Don’t push it too hard on the practice anymore. Don’t play too many events in a row. I probably spend more time in the gym staying healthy and recovering than I do work at golf any longer, because … this old dog’s probably not going to learn any new shots, but if I’m healthy, I can still hit the good ones.”
Hoffman is determined to make the most of his remaining time in the big spotlight.
“The competition is fun,” Hoffman said. “I like walking down the fairways and guys are like, ‘How old are you?’ (I say) ‘I’m 48,’ and they sort of give you a look, like, what, you’re 48 out here still playing? And in this day and age when we’re going to 100 players now, guys playing at 48 on the PGA Tour is a thing of the past. I don’t think you’re going to see that much longer on the PGA Tour. But I’m going to try to battle out here as long as I can.”
Hoey, who grew up 80 miles away in Rancho Cucamonga and starred at the University of Southern California, is chasing his first victory in his second full year on the PGA Tour.
“I’m still kind of starstruck with a lot of those guys, Hoffman, Cantlay, Rickie and whatnot,” he said. “For me, it’s really cool just to put my name out there and just keep up with them, so that’s all I’m trying to do.”
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