Filipino-American Rico Hoey fired a 2-under par 70 in the second round but lost his spot at the top in the World Wide Technology Championship in Los Cabos, Mexico on Friday, Nov. 8.

Unlike in the opening round where he shone with a 5-under par 67 for the share of the lead, the 29-year-old struggled this time on the back nine, stumbling on two bogeys and a double bogey against only two birdies.

He did regain his touch with a cleaner shot-making on the front nine with four birdies to finish with a two-day aggregate of 137 although that couldn’t prevent him from falling 14 places to now a share of the 15th spot. 

Starting on the back nine, the Manila-born but now US-based Hoey was off to a sloppy start with a bogey on the par-4 12th hole before further stumbling with a double bogey on the par-4 13th hole.

He birdied and then bogeyed the next two holes before closing out the back nine with a birdie for a two-over par 38 halfway through the round. 

Despite the early struggle, Hoey remained very much in contention, trailing just five shots off co-leaders Nico Echavarria of Colombia and Max Greyserman of the US, both carding an aggregate score of 132 through the first two rounds.

Echavarria shot a 63 after opening the competition with a 69 to jump 11 spots while Greyserman fired a 64 following a first round of 68 to rise from a share of the fourth spot.

Hoey is seeking his first PGA title after coming close twice -- a playoff loss at the ISCO Championship last July and a third-place finish at the Shriners Children’s Open last month.