Charley Hoffman and Rico Hoey both shot a 9-under 63 on the Nicklaus Tournament Course to share the lead Friday after two rounds at The American Express.

Charley Hoffman won The American Express golf tournament, then the Bob Hope Classic, in January of 2007. That was four months before Blades Brown was born. On Friday, with the 17-year-old Brown playing his second round as a pro, Hoffman found himself outplaying the youngster, though just barely, to take the lead in the desert’s PGA Tour event.

PGA Tour veteran Charley Hoffman and the Philippines' Rico Hoey each shot 9-under-par 63 at the Nicklaus Tournament Course on Friday to split the 36-hole lead at The American Express in La Quinta, Calif.

Sepp Straka shot an 8-under 64 on Saturday while his top competitors failed to match his sizzling pace, staking the Austrian to a four-shot lead

In the second round of The American Express 2025, both Charley Hoffman and Rico Hoey carded a 9-under 63 to get to 16-under overall, placing them in a tie for the lead heading into the weekend.