Hoffman won his first PGA Tour title at this event back in 2007, holding held off John Rollins in a playoff on a windy weekend with sub-freezing temperatures. It was a celebrity pro-am known as the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic back then, a West Coast landmark frequently played by Hollywood stars and U.S. presidents.

Sepp Straka shot an 8-under 64 on while his top competitors failed to match his sizzling pace 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.

The Australian veteran who was once world No. 1 had three chip-ins in Thursday's round and stayed hot Friday to go to 14-under

The No. 223-ranked New Zealander birdied the final two holes to shoot 2-under 70 and take a one-stroke lead into the final round.

Charley Hoffman took a share of the lead Friday at the American Express, which the Poway High alum won 18 years ago.

Charley Hoffman knows his time on the PGA Tour is ... They were a shot ahead of Justin Lower, Mark Hubbard and Sepp Straka. Jason Day and J.J. Spaun were 14 under. Hoffman is seeking his fifth ...

(AP) — 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 over Charley Hoffman, Jason Day and Justin ...

Charley Hoffman knows his time on the PGA Tour is ... They were a shot ahead of Justin Lower, Mark Hubbard and Sepp Straka. Jason Day and J.J. Spaun were 14 under. Hoffman is seeking his fifth ...

Sam Stevens reacts to a shot on the 18th hole Saturday during the final round of the Farmers Insurance Open. (Meg McLaughlin / The San Diego Union-Tribune)Stevens began the day six strokes off the lead. He climbed onto the leaderboard with four birdies over his first nine holes on the way to the day’s lowest round, a 4-under 68.

The answer is I think the community of San Diego took for granted that Tiger Woods virtually showed up every single year at this event."

Charley Hoffman has a remedy for the decline of some Tour events including this week's Farmers Insurance Open, where Tiger Woods dominated for years.