UNLV alum defying his age to start PGA Tour season

Charley Hoffman finally fells like, well, Charley Hoffman again.

The Champions Tour may be on the horizon for the former UNLV star, but he’s still competing on the PGA Tour at the age of 48. And he’s doing it completely healthy for the first time in several years.

“I remember just like putting on shoes and doing stuff like that, like am I ever going to be able to play at what I know I need to be able to? Health-wise, be able to play professional golf again?” Hoffman said after years of dealing with a bad back.

Hoffman hopes the struggles are behind him. He started to feel better in 2024, and the results showed. He lost a playoff at the Phoenix Open early in the season, then scattered a handful of decent finishes throughout the year to have a clear mind and healthy body coming into 2025.

“One hundred percent I wasn’t sure I would ever be competitive out here again,” Hoffman said. “Obviously last year in Phoenix I was competitive. The rest of it wasn’t up to my liking, but this year obviously (I’m) starting off on the right foot, getting myself in contention.”

He played well tee to green to open the season at the Sony Open in Hawaii, then shared the 36-hole lead at The American Express two weeks ago before settling for a tie for fifth. Hoffman also had a strong week at Torrey Pines to tie for 24th in his hometown of San Diego.

“I actually hit the ball really good in Hawaii, didn’t putt very good,” he said. “Then sort of put both of them together (at La Quinta) and had a chance coming down Sunday.”

Hoffman, one of the anchors on UNLV’s 1998 national championship team, credits the hard work and rehab on his back over the past few years for getting him back into physical shape to play.

“Just trusted a lot of people and did a lot of work in the gym,” he said. “It’s just repetitive stuff just to strengthen the muscles around my back and glutes, just making (sure) everything is stronger to reprieve my back a little bit. A few machines, lot of cold tubs, lots of infrared saunas and stuff like that.

“Now I spend more time on recovery on my body now than I do practicing and banging it up,” Hoffman continued. “A lot of recovery. If it says recovery next to it, I probably own it because I’ll try anything.”

Hoffman is not blind to his age, noting some of his fellow competitors were not yet born when he started on the PGA Tour. That doesn’t mean he isn’t willing to take them on.

“I want to be out here. I want to beat these young guys. I want to walk down the fairway,” Hoffman said. “It’s fun, it gives me energy. I get a kick out of competing against these kids, and as long as I’m still competing to win golf tournaments, I want to stay out here.”

And he wants to be around the young players.

“I love feeding off the young kids and their energy, just the fearlessness they play with,” he said. “That’s something at an older age you sometimes get a little bit conservative out there, which I wouldn’t say’s always been my suit, but sometimes you notice it and how fearless these young kids are playing the game of golf. Definitely it gave me a little bit of energy to want to play better.”

Chip shots

*A tournament with a scramble format to raise funds for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society is set for Feb. 23 at Aliante Golf Club with a 7:30 a.m. shotgun start. Cost is $90 per player or $320 for a foursome, which includes a post-round meal. Information: 702-771-5645.

*Las Vegans Rose Zhang and Allisen Corpuz are in the 32-player field as the LPGA Tour begins its 2025 season this week with the Tournament of Champions in Orlando, Florida. Zhang will defend her title next week at a second Florida stop at the Founders Cup in Bradenton.

Greg Robertson covers golf for the Review-Journal. Reach him at grobertson@reviewjournal.com.