Rico Hoey played only one PGA Tour tournament, and it was over three years ago.
Hoey, who won his first Korn Ferry Tour victory on Sunday at the 2023 Visit Knoxville open, took a big step towards becoming a regular in the tour.
Hoey won by a single shot after birdieing the par-5 hole at Holston Hill Country Club, Knoxville, Tennessee. He was followed by Chase Seiffert, and Norman Xiong. Hoey finished the week at 14 under par with his final-round 65. This is his sixth top-10 finish in the 2023 golf season.
He celebrated his birdie at 18 with a fist-pump.
This is the first time you’ve won a Korn Ferry Tour
00Rico was victorious @VisitKnoxOpen. pic.twitter.com/4Mjtl4mTpF
Korn Ferry Tour May 28th, 2023
This is his first victory in 82 Korn-Ferry starts, and his second win as a professional since he won the 2017 Freedom 55 Financial Championship at the PGA Tour Canada.
Hoey’s last 10 events in 2023 were either a feast or famine.
Rico Hoey poses for a photo with his trophy at Holston Hills Country Club, Knoxville Tennessee. (Photo by Alex Slitz/Getty images)
Before winning this week he was tied for second. In both of the events he had missed the cut. In the three events that preceded these missed cuts, he tied for third in three consecutive ties. In his 10 last starts, either he finished in the top 10, or he missed the cut.
