Get to know PGA TOUR rookies in three words or less

HONOLULU – This week, the PGA TOUR digital content team asked rookies to write down three words that describe themselves. Rico Hoey didn’t miss a beat before writing: "Vibes are high.”

Hoey is one of professional golf’s gregarious characters, easy with a smile that projects a youthful innocence. Hoey, 28, made his first PGA TOUR start as a member at this week’s Sony Open in Hawaii, after earning his card via the 2023 Korn Ferry Tour. The sweet-swinging Californian clinched his card with a win at the Visit Knoxville Open last May. His dad Richard was playing golf at the time and “threw tees everywhere” in excitement when the result was finalized.

Two years ago, though, Hoey’s vibes weren’t as high. Discouraged by injuries and uneven results in his first few years as a pro, he turned to longtime mentor and coach Ross Fisher – the director of golf at Goose Creek Golf Club in Southern California – for insights. Fisher sensed that Hoey, who started running around the course at age 2 (his two older sisters Kay and Simone, avid golfers, proceeded to play college golf at Long Beach State), could use a fresh perspective on the game he loved. So Fisher gave Hoey a job at Goose Creek, where Hoey would arrive at the course before dawn and set up tee markers while sporting a strapped-on headlight (purchased by his dad) that allowed him to keep tabs on wild boars, among other benefits.

Channeling this experience, Hoey returned to the full-time pursuit of the game. He earned Korn Ferry Tour status via Q-School in fall 2022 and hasn’t looked back.

“It was a low point for me, where it’s like, I’m injured, I have nothing to do, I’d rather do something than sit around, and (Fisher) was the one who envisioned everything, even through those tough times,” Hoey said. “I have to thank him a lot. … When I was playing mini-tour events, driving to who-knows-where, and he basically made a plan and it was like, ‘Keep executing these plans each step of the way, and you’re going to get there.' Trusted him a lot, I trusted my family, everyone, my girlfriend.

“It was a dark road, but they saw the light, so it was cool.”

Hoey returned to his roots, and his game blossomed. Now he’s a PGA TOUR member, validating the lofty expectations bestowed upon him as a highly touted collegiate player at the University of Southern California, where his nickname, "WGD," stood for "World’s Greatest Driver."

Hoey’s week at Waialae Country Club featured a little bit of everything – he carded a solid opening-round 71 but struggled on Friday and fell short of the cut line. Regardless of score, though, the vibes were high. Hoey’s parents, girlfriend Megan and Fisher were among those in attendance, beaming from ear to ear as they observed Hoey fulfill a lifelong dream. The road ahead is uncertain, but he’s here. That will never be taken away.

“This is amazing,” Hoey said. “This is the best TOUR in the world. I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else. This is just a dream, and I’m loving it. This is awesome.”

Several TOUR rookies via the DP World Tour and Korn Ferry Tour made their first TOUR start as a member this week at the Sony Open. Here’s a look at the three words several of them chose to describe themselves:

Adrien Dumont de Chassart: Never give up

"I think it’s been like that for a long time," said Dumont de Chassart. "I had one tournament where I was 16 years old, it was a match-play tournament, I was 5 down with five to go in the quarterfinals, and I won the first playoff hole. Since then I was like, ‘Okay, you can never give up. You never know what can happen.’"

Chan Kim: Love, laugh, live Aloha

"I just feel like the ‘live Aloha’ is appropriate," said Kim. "It kind of means be nice, be respectful. … Love and laugh – you need those two, and I feel like it’s pretty essential in life. Growing up (in Hawaii), I feel like the Aloha spirit is just there, and I feel like spreading Aloha would be nice."

Chandler Phillips: You never know

"You never know what’s going to happen," Phillips said. "When it’s going bad, treat it like it’s any other day. I’ve always wanted to get that tattooed. There’s a music artist, Mike Stud; that’s what he always says. May get it one day, maybe not."

Sami Valimaki: Enjoy, work, learn

"For me right now everything is kind of new, and I’ve tried to enjoy it and learn some things," Valimaki said. "And of course work hard every time."

Joe Highsmith: Go all in!!!

"Don’t leave anything out there," Highsmith said. "Give it your all every time you tee it up."

Jimmy Stanger: Faith, family, golf

"No. 1 priority in my life is my faith," said Stanger. "No. 2 is my family. No. 3 is golf."

Tom Whitney (will debut at The American Express): Let’s drop bombs

"Previous career was a nuclear missile operator, and now looking to drain those long putts and hit some big drives and make a name out here," said Whitney.

Kevin Dougherty (will debut at The American Express): Work, family, food

"I love to work," Dougherty said. "If it’s in the gym, on the golf course, anything to perfect my craft, I love to do it. Second one is family – my wife, my daughter, my parents, my brother; everyone in my smaller circle. And then three is food. I love to cook my own food, super healthy; just kind of take control of that aspect."

Rico Hoey: Vibes are high

"Vibes are high," said Hoey. "We’re in Hawaii."