Rico Hoey joined the ranks of fellow Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship alumni on the PGA Tour after officially earning his Tour card for the 2024 season through graduation of the Korn Ferry Tour last week. The University of Southern California product clinched his 2024 membership following his win at the Visit Knoxville Open earlier this summer before officially graduating on Sunday.
Hoey was originally born in Manila, Philippines, but was raised in Rancho Cucamonga, California. Hoey’s journey to earning his Tour card was not always smooth sailing; he considered instead becoming a PGA professional before taking the leap to reconstruct his golf game from scratch in hopes of it leading to success. Luckily for Hoey it did, and he finished out the Korn Ferry Tour season as a statistical leader in many categories including total driving and total eagles.
Hoey participated in the 2012 Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship alongside future major championship winners Hideki Matsuyama and Cameron Smith. His appearance at the Championship was one of his many amateur accolades including winning the 2012 Callaway Junior World Championship and the 2012 Junior America’s Cup.
Hoey’s continued dedication and hard work over the past decade has paid off through a fourth-place finish in the 2023 Korn Ferry Tour standings. On Sunday, he celebrated with his fellow graduates and began to look forward towards his PGA Tour career.
“It’s a dream come true,” Hoey said. “This is what we all work for. I’m really happy to be out here and to have a chance to get on the PGA Tour. Let’s see what the future has in store, and I’m just going to keep doing my best.”
