Rico Hoey closes in on Bank of Utah Championship triumph

RICO HOEY puts himself in striking position for a historic triumph in the PGA Tour as he moved just three shots off the pace entering the last round of the Bank of Utah Championship on Saturday.

The Fil-Am fired an eagle-spiked eight-under 63 on moving day at the Black Desert Golf Course in Ivins, Utah to hike his tally to 199 and close in on American Michael Brennan, who owned a leading 196 following a third-round 64.

Mr. Brennan, bidding to become the first player to win on a sponsor exemption since Nick Dunlap last year at the American Express, held a one-shot lead against defending champion Matt McCarty (198 after a 64).

Mr. Hoey, who shared No. 3 with Kevin Yu (63) and Pierceson Coody (66), will play against Mr. Brennan and Mr. McCarty in the top flight on Sunday (early Monday Manila time) in pursuit of his breakthrough in the prestigious circuit.

The 30-year-old parbuster previously came close to victory at the 2024 ISCO Championship in Kentucky, where he made it to a five-man playoff for the title but eventually settled for tied second.

Mr. Hoey is coming off a season’s best performance at the Baycurrent Classic two weeks ago in Japan, finishing in a share of No. 4 for his fourth Top 10 placing of 2025. — Olmin Leyba