The Philippines’ lone PGA campaigner Rico Hoey shot a four-under-par 71 on Thursday to grab a share of sixth place at the start of the PGA Valspar Championship in Palm Harbor, Florida.
The 28-year-old Hoey, who is also chasing a slot for the Paris Olympics, decorated his round with birdies on Nos. 1, 4, 7, 9 and 18. He bogeyed the Par-3 13th to go three shots behind the leader.
It is only Hoey’s ninth event in the big league. He has so far made three cuts out of eight.
American Tour veteran Kevin Streelman fired a bogey-free seven-under-par 64 to take a one-stroke lead over Kevin Roy after Thursday’s first round.
Streelman, 45, had seven birdies at Innisbrook’s Copperhead course, where he’s chasing a third PGA Tour title but his first since the 2014 Travelers Championship.
Roy, a 35-year-old ranked 348th in the world, put himself in the hunt for a first tour title with a 65 that featured eight birdies and two bogeys.
China’s Carl Yuan, Canadian Adam Svensson and American Peter Malnati were tied for third on 66.
Streelman kickstarted his round with a nine-foot birdie at the 11th. He rolled in a five-footer at the 14th and a 14-footer at 17 and two pairs of back-to-back birdies coming in — at the first and second and the fourth and fifth holes.
“One of those rounds that just kind of got off to the right start,” said Streelman, who added he got “up and down a few times when I needed to” to keep the round going.
“I knew today was going to be the best weather day and then it’s going to be hold on to your shorts here for the next few days,” Streelman said. “So trying to just keep a good attitude and have some fun.”
